Cat and Mouse
by PrittyAnimeChick
Summary: A young girl makes an encounter with Cell and things just go downhill from there. Chapter 23 is up to read! Just a day late!
1. Bad Encounters

Author's note(Wow, it feels weird to write that. O.o): Hi, everyone! Umm... What can I say now? This is my first attempt at a fic and it's not all that good... That's more of a warning, isn't it? But, anyways, read and review. Tell me what you think. This is inspired by Masquerade's epic, Unholy Crusade, so if it sounds very familiar to it, then I am very, very, very, truly sorry. Please forgive me. I just am not a writer. And give me your honest opinions please. If you don't like this, tell me why so that I may make any changes to make it better. Comments like, "Oh, this sucks!", "You really can't write!" will be ignored if without reason. Thanx, all. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of the characters from DBZ. However, I do own Sekai and any other unfamiliar names and characters. So don't take them please. And if you do want them, then ask me first please.  
  
  
  
Cat and Mouse  
  
  
  
"Oh, my god...," she murmured.  
  
Sekai stared at the sight of Ginger Town before her. Countless articles of clothing lay about on the ground. Most of the shirts and blouses had holes stabbed through them. They billowed slightly as a gust of wind blew by and through Sekai's forest green hair.  
  
Her heather eyes pooled with tears at the thought of how many people lost their lives to whatever stabbed them.  
  
'Who could do such a thing to so many people?' she thought. 'Whatever it is, it couldn't possibly be human.' She also noticed, as she looked around, that many of the buildings were in some ruin. Windows were shattered and doors were broken down. Apparently, the people had been trying to escape whatever threat had arrived in this city.  
  
Sekai, now sixteen years old, was very afraid. She had never imagined that something could wipe out an entire city population, and she still didn't. Her mind felt very numb at the moment. Just the thought that there wasn't a single living soul in the city she was standing in boggled her brain. Slowly, her senses returned to her and she breathed in deeply. Silently, she coached herself not to go into hysterics.  
  
'Okay, Sekai. One, two, three. One, two, three... There we go. Just calm down now.'  
  
Achieving little calmness yet somewhat feeling better, she reached into her pocket to pull out a capsule. She clicked it and threw it a safe distance away. In a poof of smoke, an air car appeared. She hopped in and began driving through the empty streets of Ginger Town. She raised the gears up far enough on the air car until she was driving about twelve feet in the air. Even as high as she was, she didn't feel any sense of security.  
  
'I'm getting paranoid about this. But don't I have a right to? I mean, it's not normal for such a busy city like this to be void of any activity or people,' Sekai pondered. As she drove, sensing for any ki belonging to anyone, a strong gust of wind blew by, nearly making her car change direction slightly.  
  
'What the hell is that?!' she thought in surprise. She looked behind her and saw the strangest and most horrifying thing she'd ever seen.  
  
It appeared to be some kind of monster. That was the only glimpse she got of the horrible thing before she saw it raise its hand and fire a ki blast at her. Not knowing what else to do, and having little time to decide, Sekai jumped from her air car and landed on the hard pavement just before the ki blast made contact with her car and caused it to explode in a burst of heat, light, and debris.  
  
She bounced twice as she hit the ground and landed on her behind. She shielded her head with her hands against the falling rubble. When the shower of particles ceased, she lowered her hands to view her surroundings.  
  
The first thing Sekai took notice of was that she was sitting down on her rear. One of her backless sandals had mysteriously disappeared and her left foot was exposed. She also noted that her car was gone for good, and was replaced with scrap metal.  
  
She growled, getting up and beginning to dust herself off, wiping at her navy blue tank top and jean shorts. Suddenly, she felt herself being watched and whipped around to see what had destroyed her car.  
  
The monster had a strange resemblence to a lizard, a bug, and a human. It was mostly covered with a green exoskeleton which had random dark green spots dotting it. A black shell protected its brain and chest and around that, orange muscles lined its abdomen. Three toes protruded from each foot and it looked like it had an orange, muscled beak for a mouth with no visible nose. Sekai figured that he was no less than seven feet tall. Although, what she found to be its most fearful feature was its long tail with a sharp stinger at the end.  
  
'Why couldn't I sense him before?' she wondered.  
  
"Hello there, little one," the thing rasped, somewhat evilly. Sekai blinked in shock. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.  
  
The creature seemed to smirk at the fact that the girl was temporarily mute. He began walking towards her, squeaking his feet with each step.  
  
KT-TCH..KT-TCH..KT-TCH..  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to her, Sekai spoke in the form of a question. "Who a-are you?" she stuttered. Fear clutched her heart.  
  
The monster stopped momentarily, perhaps pondering whether or not to tell who he was. He answered her with,"It doesn't matter. All will soon be known to you when you become a part of me."  
  
Sekai's eyes widened at the peculiar answer she received from the equally peculiar being in front of her. What did he mean by that? As if on cue, the monster's tail swished menacingly behind him.  
  
'Wait a minute. Is he...' Her thoughts were cut off as the creature suddenly dove for her, positioning his tail to strike her chest and suck away her soul.  
  
Instinctively, she put her arms up in defense and backed away as fast as she could.  
  
The strike barely missed her by centimeters. She backflipped away from him. Growling, she got into a fighting stance, ready to defend herself. As scared as she was, she wouldn't give up without a fight. Yet deep inside her, Sekai knew that she would not be able to defeat him.  
  
She shook her head to clear it of the negative thoughts. 'No. I will fight this monster with honor, even if it means getting killed.'  
  
Her gaze swept to the stinger on the end of the creature's tail. A lump grew in her throat, and she forced herself to swallow it. She would fight this beast if it meant avenging all of the poor, innocent people who lost their lives to him. In any case, if he was too much to handle, she would retreat a secure distance away from him. After all, he wouldn't come after her. She wasn't a threat to him. Of course, she would soon realize that in this monster's presence, there was no such thing as a safe distance with him alive and that chances of his defeat by her were nonexistant.  
  
The monster whom she would discover to be named Cell. 


	2. Little Arguments and Brawls

Hello again everyone! Wow, people actually like this thing! Big thank yous to all who read and reviewed the story. You may not have known it, but yesterday was my birthday and all your kind reviews just made my day (even though I saw the reviews today). I love hearing from you all!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything of it. I just own Sekai and any other unheard of characters.  
  
  
  
Cat and Mouse: Chapter Two  
  
  
  
She faced the mysterious creature before her. Only now could she feel his ki, and it felt evil and powerful.  
  
'Who is this freak?!' Sekai screamed in her mind. 'And how is he so powerful?' Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. She growled in frustration and anger at the beast in front of her. He definitely looked intimidating.  
  
She heard a squeaking sound and looked to see the weird thing walking towards her again. Unconciously, she tensed up as he neared her. Never had she seen such a disgusting and ugly being before in her entire life.  
  
"My, you are quick to move, my dear," he spoke in that raspy voice of his. Sekai silently gulped saliva down her now parched throat. "Let's see just how fast you are!"  
  
He ran at her again with amazing speed. Out of pure instinct, Sekai jumped up and dodged his lethal tail again and again. His movements were so fast that she couldn't even get on the offensive. All she could do was dodge whatever he threw at her.  
  
He made a swipe for her face and knocked her into an already ruined building. Groaning, she forced herself to stand up and felt him coming at her again. This time he punched her straight in the face, on the cheek. Once again, she was knocked away. Frustrated with being so easily pushed around, she tapped into her power source from within and called it forth. She just had to defend herself and survive.  
  
With a sudden burst of energy, she ran at the monster. Unfortunately for her, he caught the fist she had aimed to strike him with and tossed her into another building. Sekai flipped so that her feet were heading to the wall of the building and used it as leverage to push herself back at him. Momentarily off guard, the green freak got one hit in right on his face.  
  
Shocked, he growled and turned to her. The punch hadn't hurt at all, but the fact that the girl had gotten a hit through his defenses at all was not acceptable. No human had ever struck him!  
  
'She is stronger than normal humans to be able to punch me like that,' he thought. 'I wonder about her...'  
  
He decided to test her skills and flew at her again. Suddenly, he sensed something that would soon spoil his plans.  
  
Sekai saw him flying at her and prepared herself for another round.Then, without warning, he stopped and jumped back. She wondered what had happened to cause him to back away. She saw him looking up at the sky and frowning. She looked up, too, trying to see what he was looking at.  
  
"Piccolo..." she heard him murmur.  
  
'Huh? Who's Piccolo?' Sekai looked back down at the lizard-like being in confusion. Then, she saw another sight she was not prepared for. A man, green in skin color, flew down from the sky with no technological means of transportation. He wore a purple gi with a white cape and turban and orange shoes. He had patches of pink muscles on his arms and a mean stare aimed right at the monster whom she had been fighting.  
  
'What is up with these green people? I mean, green is my favorite color, but this is just ridiculous,' she exclaimed silently.  
  
"Cell!" the green guy, whom she figured was Piccolo, shouted. Then, he looked in Sekai's direction. "Get out of here, girl!"  
  
Sekai blinked and just stood there for a moment. When she snapped out of it, she yelled back at him. "What about you?"  
  
"Just worry about yourself and get far away from here!" Piccolo commanded.  
  
"Do not interfere, Piccolo," Cell intervened. "She is my prey, and I will not allow her to escape."  
  
"Wanna bet?!" Piccolo called, and he fired a ki blast at Cell.  
  
Sekai rose her arms up to shield her eyes from the light and dust caused by the ki blast. The wind blew wildly about her and mussed up her green hair. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her arm and pull her into the air. She gasped in surprise and turned her head to see Piccolo holding her to get them both away from Cell. She got a glimpse of Cell lowering his arms from his defensive position and begin yelling at them. She couldn't hear what he was saying with the wind whistling so loudly in her ears. Piccolo landed about three miles away from Cell rather quickly and released Sekai.  
  
"Now get out of here." He repeated his earlier advice.  
  
She stared at him, dumbfounded. Too much had happened today that was out of the ordinary and she was having a hard time swallowing it all. So she gave a response that showed just how intelligent she was at the moment.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Piccolo growled. "I said 'Get out of here'. Do you understand?"  
  
Slowly, the gears were turning inside Sekai's head. She responded with,"I don't understand anything right now." That was true for her.  
  
"You don't need to understand anything except the concept of getting away from here. Nothing else is of your concern."  
  
That remark made her snap back to reality. "What do you mean nothing else is of my concern?! I just got into a fight with that...that..thing! And you mean to tell me that it's none of my concern?!" she exploded.  
  
"Look, just leave here now! Cell will be on his way any minute!" Piccolo yelled.  
  
"Let him come. He started a fight with me and I'm not going to be the one that'll back out. I'd just like to see him try." Sekai folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away from Piccolo with her eyes closed, gesturing that the deal was already done.  
  
Piccolo roughly grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy?! Don't be foolish! Cell will show no mercy to you. He didn't to anyone else so why would he spare you?" The Namek was fuming.  
  
Just when Sekai yanked her arm away and was about to respond, another man entered the scene. He flew down to the two of them and landed next to her. She got a good look at him and noted that everything about him was normal except for the fact that he was unusually well-built and he had an extra eye on his forehead.  
  
'How weird can this day get?' she thought to herself.  
  
"Tien! Quickly, get this girl out of here. Cell will be here any minute now." Piccolo was quick to tell the man.  
  
"Right." he responded. Although, before he could pick Sekai up and take her out of the city, a large ki blast was shot in his direction directly in front of him.  
  
  
  
  
  
So how is it so far? Good? Bad? Inbetweenie? Please read and review, and tell me your thoughts! Thanx. ^_^ 


	3. Unwanted Help

Well, here's the next chapter of Cat and Mouse. I love the reviews I've been receiving and take each of them to heart. Thanx for spending time on giving your thoughts on this fic. I've decided to answer to each review like SSJ4 Goku does. She really is supporting me through this. Thank you, SSJ4 Goku!  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: First of all, THANK YOU for your unending support! I have to admit, I probably wouldn't be getting this far if it weren't for the nice reviews I received, yours included. And I just had to pick something that was a little tough to write...And thanx for reviewing still. Skilled writer, am I? Well... I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. ^_^() I'm glad you like this!  
  
LadyBuG: Aw, you don't owe me any favors! But I'm glad this has caught your interest... for now. ^_^() And we'll all just have to see what does happen between those two... myself included.  
  
Princess Vega: Thanx for the encouragement! Every little bit pushes me onward. I just hope I don't push myself over a cliff...  
  
Pen Dragon: Another compliment. Wow, just what is so great about this fic? And I agree; somebody should shoot Tien. He's gotta watch other people's space...  
  
lilmissgoten: You're not rambling... not exactly. But everything helps me in writing more. I'm glad you like Sekai; I do too. And Cell romances are hard, as I have heard and am experiencing. But I sure hope I get the hang of it soon! O.o Otherwise, who knows what'll happen...  
  
SSJSkaterPunk: Thanx! And once again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion...  
  
nuklear: Nope, she's a tough cookie. And who could pass up a verbal fight with Piccolo?? I sure wouldn't. Thanx, and don't worry; I'll keep going with this. Being stubborn is helpful to me too. ^_^()  
  
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Disclaimer: Man, now I know what it feels like to keep writing these over and over again. I don't own DBZ or any of the characters relating to it. I just own Sekai and any other characters that are unknown.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Three  
  
  
  
The blast took everyone by surprise. Sekai yelped as she was knocked about twenty feet from where she previously stood. She quickly got back up and gasped at the place where the other two men and she had been. 'Oh, no... Please let them be okay...' she thought worriedly. Then she glared up at the green freak who threw the blast. He had followed them.  
  
'What's his name? Cell, I think Piccolo called him,' she growled up at him. She looked back at the spot and sighed in relief as she saw the two men standing there, mostly unharmed and with their arms up in defense.  
  
"Argh, blast it! He's here!" Piccolo growled. He, once again, spoke to Tien without turning his gaze from Cell. "Hurry, Tien! Get the girl out of this place now. I'll stay here and distract Cell."  
  
"Okay, Piccolo," Tien nodded. He went to Sekai to pick her up and fly out of the city. She stared at them both, silently boiling as they spoke about her as though she wasn't even there. Tien picked her up and began flying.  
  
"Hey!" Sekai objected. "Put me down!"  
  
"Sorry, kid, but we got to get outta here while we can." He responded. She looked down at the place where now only Piccolo and Cell remained. They were engaged in a battle of fists and ki blasts. Staring speechlessly, she watched their movements and speed as their bodies became mere, tiny silhouettes.  
  
'They're so skilled and fast... I stood no chance against Cell,' she thought somewhat shamefully. 'I'm so weak. I feel so helpless. I've disappointed and shamed my mother and father. I couldn't live up to my honor and fight back. Hell, I could barely defend myself. How could I let that happen?' Tears filled her eyes with sadness and it was then that Tien interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"So where do you live? If you live far enough away, I could drop you off there. Otherwise, you can come and stay at Master Roshi's house." He told her.  
  
"Just drop me off down here. I'll go the rest of the way to my house." She hoped he would listen to her. As much as she was afraid of Cell, she wanted to do whatever she could to help defeat him. That monster didn't deserve to live as long as he had. Where could he have come from?  
  
Tien had been flying for a while, but with the training she had underwent in her childhood, she could get back to Ginger Town where the fight had occured and get there pretty quickly. All she had to do was head in the opposite direction of where they were heading, which was east, since Tien was simply making a beeline to wherever he might have been planning to go.  
  
"No, it's okay. I'll take you all the way to your house. You don't want Cell to find you, now do you?" He joked. When Sekai didn't respond, he looked at her. Her face was turned away from him and she had a rather determined expression on it. "Hey, what are you thinking?" Again, he received no answer. "Are you insane?! Do you seriously want Cell to find you? He could and would kill you in the blink of an eye!"  
  
Sekai looked sharply into his face. "He shamed and humiliated me! I won't let him get away with that. I'm going to face him even if it's the last thing I do."  
  
"It just might be the last thing you do!"  
  
"Then I will die with honor!" With that, she struggled to get out of his grasp. Caught off guard, he didn't react in time to keep a hold of her. Slipping through Tien's arms, Sekai sped at an alarming speed to the ground. She tucked her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them, rolling to the ground. She landed in a thicket and scratched her arms and legs against some sharp tree branches. Acting fast, she crawled into the nearest bush and hid. She could sense Tien close by and coming closer.  
  
'Can't he just leave me alone?' Sekai rolled her eyes. He was searching for her. Lowering her ki to an undetectable level, she watched and waited. Tien was looking all around the forest for her. He had trouble concentrating on sensing for her ki. He finally got frustrated when he couldn't locate her. Suddenly, he shouted out to the empty air.  
  
"I hope you're happy! You've gotten away and gone into a big mess. I just hope you come to your senses before it's too late for you. I'm leaving!" He shot off into the air. Sekai waited until his ki faded away completely.  
  
"Finally, he's gone," she breathed. Crawling out of the bush, she shook out the leaves that had gotten stuck in her hair as she had fallen. The scratches hadn't hurt at all and weren't that bad. "Now to get on with business." She faced in the direction from which she had been taken. Her destination was quite a distance away from where she was now and she probably wouldn't even make it in time to catch up with Cell.  
  
'But maybe I'll get some clues as to where he might have gone from there. I don't think that Piccolo could have killed him already. Cell's more powerful.' She lowered her head then. That thought was somewhat discouraging. 'But if Piccolo can't beat him, then who am I to try? Piccolo's stronger than me and if he can't beat Cell, then surely I can't.' For a moment she kept her head bowed. When she raised it again, a fiercely determined expression crossed her face.  
  
'But I will try with all my might.'  
  
She pulled a capsule out of her pocket and, instead of an air car, she pulled out an air bike. Hopping on, she revved the engine and drove in the direction of Ginger Town. Only one thought crossed her mind and pushed her onward.  
  
'You better watch out Cell. You may be powerful, but you also must have to have some weakness. And I will do whatever I can to find that weakness and bring an end to your reign of terror...' 


	4. The Game Begins...

Here's another chapter for you all!  
  
Author's Note: If it seems that the story's going too slow, then please just bear with me. I try to take note of all the little things(and fail miserably) and keep things in perspective. I'm also stalling to come up with more ideas. ^_^() But I think these chapters are short so there isn't too much senseless rambling. Just to let you know.  
  
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LadyBuG: Yep, this is, in fact, my very first fic. I got some time on my hands so... yeah. Thanx. I try to make my characters realistic and believable because I sometimes come across OCs that are totally... unreal, for lack of a better word. That bugs me so I try to give some dimensions to Sekai. More will be revealed about her in this and future chapters.  
  
Pen Dragon: Aw, thanx for the compliments. They mean a lot to me.  
  
SSJ4 Goku: It is fun, huh? And thanx. I think it's kinda human nature to feel unsatisfied with your own work, isn't it? It's like you have what you have, but you still want more and better. I'm happy my fic has caught your attention; just like your fic caught mine! ^_^ And I'll see when I can get Perfect Cell into the picture. But it probably won't be for a while because I'm so slow. They are a challenge, but I won't quit now! I can't wait either and I'm writing this! O.o I try to get my chapters out quickly because I know what it's like to have to wait for them. I'm pretty impatient myself. ^_^() So I spend a lot of time on one chapter each day. I got a lot of free time...  
  
lilmissgoten: I think she should have gone with him, too, but that's what you get when you're stubborn. And we'll find out just what happens with her now...  
  
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Disclaimer: Do I have to do this again? Okay, then. I don't own DBZ or any characters pertaining to it. However, I do own Sekai and any new characters that might show up in the future.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Four  
  
  
  
Sekai had been driving as fast as her air bike could take her. Each moment that had passed made her lose a little more hope of getting to Ginger Town in time. She could still sense Cell and Piccolo there and therefore kept herself from getting discouraged and giving up. Also, she knew that giving up was taking the coward's path.  
  
'Mom and Dad always told me never to give up or get discouraged. They said that giving up and running away from a problem was much more shameful than facing a conflict and being defeated. Therefore, I won't run away from Cell. I'll face him even if it means dying in the process.'  
  
She gazed straight ahead and her mind wandered to a time where she had just begun learning the martial arts...  
  
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"Listen to me, Sekai-chan," Satoshi spoke to her softly. "This training of martial arts is not just about defending yourself. It's about learning respect and honor, and finding a purpose into using this talent appropriately in the effective way."  
  
"What do you mean, mommy?" young Sekai asked, bewildered.  
  
A deep, male voice interrupted them. "What your mother means is that you can use this ability to protect not only yourself, but those who are unable to protect themselves. And you must fight in a way that is fair and that won' t be looked down upon," Yoru explained.  
  
"Yes, your father is right, Sekai-chan," Satoshi smiled at them both. "Do not act in a way that you know we would not approve of. We only want the best for you and that you be safe forever. I know that you will make your father and I both very proud."  
  
"Yeah, Sekai-chan, we believe in you and are sure of you becoming a truly honest and respectable warrior."  
  
"Don't worry, mommy, daddy, I promise to make you both proud of me!" young Sekai vowed as her parents smiled warmly at her...  
  
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"They had so much faith in me..." Sekai murmured. "But I won't let them down." Suddenly, she focused back on the road in front of her and saw that Ginger Town was just up ahead. She tried sensing for Piccolo and Cell, but couldn't locate either of them. She had been so absorbed in her memories that she had lost track of the fight.  
  
"Oh, man! I can't sense them. I couldn't have been in my little dream world for a more than a couple of minutes, but who knows how far those two could have gone in that time?!" She sighed, debating whether or not to stop while she was ahead. She shook her head fervently as her previous memory came back to her. "I guess I could look for clues as to where they might have gone." With that new goal in mind, she continued to Ginger Town.  
  
  
  
In just a few short minutes, she had arrived. Again, she was met with the terrible scene of clothing all over the ground. Her heart reached out to all the men, women, and children who had died this day. She capsulized her bike and decided to search for clues on foot. It would be easier that way to catch the little things that might lead her to Cell. She began her hunt.  
  
Deep in the shadows, another being was watching Sekai's every move. The eyes followed her as she started looking for something.  
  
'For me, I wonder? Well, if she is, she is making a great mistake that just might cost her her life. But she intrigues me with her boldness. I wonder just how long she can last in one of my games. I will have to test her. Soon enough, the game will begin and we'll see just who is hunting who. She had better beware. This is a game of deadly sorts...'  
  
  
  
There it was. I shouldn't have to tell you to read and review because you all do it anyways. ^_^ And that makes me happy. The next chapter might be out by tomorrow or the day after. Later! 


	5. Evil Strikes Again

Well, here's the next chappie of CaM. Enjoy! ^_^  
  
  
  
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Pen Dragon: Then you're gonna love this fic because Sekai meets up with Cell a LOT. Especially in the next chapter. And yep, you've been mentioned. ^_^ Why wouldn't you be?  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Yeah, I'm trying to reveal some background about her for dramatic effect. ^_^() Otherwise, it just doesn't make any sense about her character. After all, your past leads you to who you become now, doesn't it? I hope that made sense. ^_^() Yep, no point in rushing the story. Besides, you're all pretty patient people (unlike me...). Can't just make Perfect Cell pop out from nowhere land. Now, that would be totally out of whack.  
  
Masquerade: Hey, thanx for the compliments. And also for pointing out that little change. I was waiting for someone to tell me something about mistakes and I'm glad you were the one to do so. ^_^ And she is still afraid of Cell, but doesn't want to show it so it wouldn't be to her disadvantage. Thanx again! ^_^  
  
lilmissgoten: Yeah, the title kinda gives away the plot, doesn't it? Not very original, but oh, well. Have to start somewhere, ne? And I will keep writing for you all! ^_^ Thanx!  
  
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Disclaimer: Let's see... How can I say the disclaimer and make it all fancy but mean the same thing? DBZ does not belong to me and nor do any of its characters. Sekai is copyrighted to me as well as any other unfamiliar characters. There. Does that sound any different?  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Five  
  
  
  
She sighed in frustration. Sekai had been sensing for Cell for nearly half an hour and she was getting very impatient very quickly. Not only was she tired and dirty, but her tension was reaching its peak and would cause her to spasm at any moment of panic. Finally, she had decided to go to a place where there might be people. Unfortunately, no such luck was coming to her.  
  
'Man, this place is completely deserted. It's almost amazing how Cell could wipe out an entire population of people in such a big city. Almost as much as it is disgusting,' she thought.  
  
She stopped in front of a large, four-story hotel. She could sense a few low kis inside. Those kis must have belonged to the few lucky people who had survived the attack. Another reason might have been that Cell had swallowed up enough souls to sustain him for the time being. Either way, she was glad that those few people had gotten another chance to live longer.  
  
She frowned at another thought. 'Is hiding in fear and focusing on keeping yourself alive really considered living?'  
  
Shaking her head, Sekai pushed open the thick, heavy, wooden doors to the building. When she saw no one around, she called out.  
  
"Hello? Anybody here?"  
  
A head popped out from behind the main desk. It looked to be a man in his early thirties. He wore a white work shirt with no tie. The rest of his body was hidden by the large front desk. The man smiled in what appeared to be relief and gladness.  
  
'Probably happy that I'm not Cell,' she figured the obvious. 'But who can blame him? I'd be really scared, too, if I was at his power.'  
  
Clearing her throat, she spoke in a light-hearted tone, as if trying to lift the heavy tension caused by Cell. "Excuse me, sir, but is there a room available that I might be able to stay in for the day? I have enough money," she asked politely. Her parents had always urged her to be polite and respectful to all, no matter who the person was.  
  
The receptionist looked at her incredulously for a moment. "Are you kidding?! You're standing here, alive in a place the monster has attacked and survived, and you're worried about paying for a hotel room? Everyone who's breathing and alive can stay here for free. Money's no problem," he told her.  
  
"Really? For free? Hey, neat. Thanks!" Sekai walked to the desk and took the key to the room the man offered. The room number was 237. He smiled courteously at her.  
  
"Hey, don't thank me. Thank God and yourself for staying alive!"  
  
She nodded and began walking up the stairs to her room. It was on the third floor of the building and she looked out the various windows as she went up. She could have gone in the elevator, but she had decided that she didn't want to be trapped in one when Cell attacked. Besides, climbing stairs gave her good exercise, no matter how little.  
  
'I wonder where Cell is now...' She had a feeling that he was really close to her but didn't want to show himself. 'But why would he be hiding himself? He doesn't have anything to worry about. He can destroy anyone he wants to without even breaking a sweat. I just don't understand.'  
  
When she got to her room, she heard some scuffling a few doors down. Others were staying in the hotel besides her, confirming the kis she had felt outside. Shrugging, she unlocked and opened the door to see a nicely furnished room, complete with a bed, television, bathroom, mini- refrigerator, and a beautiful view of the city. Of course, it wasn't so beautiful with speckles of clothing littering the ground. Still, the room itself was quite passable.  
  
Entering the room, Sekai first decided to take a shower to clean herself of all the perspiration she had secreted from her battle with Cell and her search for the monster himself right after. She glanced at the mirror and looked away nonchalantly, then did a double take. Right on her cheek, there was a deep bruise that was beginning to turn a heavy purple.  
  
'What the hell?! I hadn't even felt it all this time. And why didn't that receptionist guy mention anything about it?' She stared, with wide eyes, at the discoloration on her right cheek. She guessed that he had just been trying to be polite and didn't want to stick his nose into her business. Sekai frowned at the blemish.  
  
"I must have gotten it in the fight with Cell,"she concluded. Pushing the thought of the bruise to the back of her mind, she focused on her next task which was getting a shower. She pulled out another capsule from her pocket and clicked it, making a duffel bag appear. In it were some spare clothes she used in emergencies such as this.  
  
Laying out the desired attire to wear, consisting of a long, green, sleeveless shirt and some jean pants along with a complete pair of sneakers, she left them on the bed and walked to the bathroom. Her foot that had been exposed the whole time since she lost her sandal stepped on something pointy and sharp.  
  
"Ouch!" Lifting her foot up, the tiny object came into view. It was a screw that must have fallen off from something. Sekai looked up at the bathroom door and noticed that one was missing from the highest hinge. Sighing, she walked into the bathroom. There was no point in venting her frustration on a little screw. Something bigger would be needed for that. Shutting and locking the door behind her, she began taking her shower.  
  
  
  
Heavy breathing could be heard throughout the room.  
  
The same receptionist, to whom Sekai had been conversing with, was once again laying low to the ground. Much to his chagrin, he was quickly discovered.  
  
"Oh, my god! No!" he cried in fear.  
  
The frightened man helplessly backed into a corner. He stared in horror at the fearful creature looming over him.  
  
"P-p-please d-don't hurt m-me!" he stammered uncontrollably and in futility.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, you serve a great purpose to me, greater than the one you serve now. And in order for you to fulfill that purpose, you must become a part of me. You should be honored to become one with such a superior being as I," Cell told him.  
  
"N-No! NO!!" That was the last thing the kind man uttered before he was stabbed in one shot and sucked away into nothing by Cell. Only clothes left a sign that a man had been there. The giant shadow that belonged to the monster slowly moved off the pile of clothing and moved on in search of its next victim.  
  
  
  
Sorry there wasn't much action or point in this chapter and for stopping here. I just felt the need to stop it there. I'll try to make up for it in the next one. Bye-bye for now! ^_^ 


	6. Bad News and Annoying Riddles

Another chapter for your enjoyment! I guess... ^_^() Gosh, I feel so warm and fuzzy inside with all the nice and encouraging reviews I've been receiving. Not a single flame as of yet! ^__^ You guys just have really big hearts! *sniff* It just makes me so happy... *wipes a tear away* Oh, go read the story and review responses already! I've got something in my eye... *goes away sobbing in happiness*  
  
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Masquerade: Hey, thanx! I really appreciate your support. ^_^  
  
LadyBuG: Yep, you will find out soon... ^_^ And thanx! I will keep trying for all of you! ^_^  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Yeah, since Sekai is my character, I wanted her to be kinda likable and mysterious. You know, how a character's past is revealed bit by bit? I find that sort of suspenseful, but enough about me! Well, we have another thing in common besides liking Cell. We're both a bit impatient. ^_^() And it would definitely be senseless to have Cell turn perfect just now. I'll try not to alter the pace. Thanx again!  
  
lilmissgoten: Yep, and she's kinda slipping from her guard...so we'll just see what happens, now won't we? ^_^ Thanx!  
  
Pen Dragon: Not as much as that poor receptionist was, I hope. Suspense is a killer, ne? ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Hey, thanx! I rock? ... COOL! ^___^  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ's not mine! Just Sekai and other new characters mentioned! Must I keep saying this?! ~.~  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Six  
  
  
  
"Aaah!" Sekai sighed in satisfaction. That shower had done wonders for her. She finally felt clean and fresh. Putting her clean clothes on with a full pair of shoes and putting her dirty ones away in a separate capsule so they wouldn't stink up her other ones, she started doing some stretches. The hot water had really relaxed her muscles and had turned them to jelly.  
  
She began to think about the situation she was in and what her next move might be. Cell could obviously hide his ki to undetectable levels and therefore, his true power could not be determined. He was also a pretty skilled fighter and was the kind to get what he wanted when he wanted it. Her encounter with him had given her very little information, and that she hadn't even gotten from Cell himself.  
  
Sighing and feeling a little stuffy, Sekai decided to open the window and get some air. Another pang of the same sadness touched her heart, seeing all the limp articles of clothing still laying scattered on the ground. A small thought began nagging the back of her mind and told her something wasn't right, moreso than it wasn't already.  
  
"What could it be?" She scratched her head, trying to figure it out. She stretched her senses, searching for Cell's ki. Like a ton of bricks, she realized just what was wrong. She couldn't sense Cell anywhere nearby, but she couldn't sense anyone else either. The entire building seemed to have been evacuated. Yet she couldn't feel anyone's life force outside either. Then that must have meant...  
  
'He's here... He's in the building right now probably killing everyone!' Sekai bolted for the door and flung it open. She stared ahead of her. Laying all over the floor in the hallway, there were clothes of all sizes and styles with holes in the shirts and blouses. He had been here.  
  
That idea confused her. 'If he was here, why didn't he just come after me as well? I'm sure he sensed me and could have gotten to me easily enough.' Getting a little worried about being alone in such a small hallway, she went back into her room and got her capsules. Then, she quickly ran out the door to get out of the hotel, rustling the clothes slightly with the breeze she made.  
  
'Man, I don't like this! That Cell, what a monster! I'll get him for this no matter what,' she thought in anger. Running out of the hotel, the first thing she did was take a deep breath. Just when she was about to relax a bit, a flicker of ki made her tense right back up. The power had been too quick to locate or identify, and that made her more nervous.  
  
'Okay, Sekai, calm down. You know you can't think straight when you're all panicky. Gotta cool it...' The thought wasn't much comfort, but it was enough to allow her to concentrate on the power. It flickered again, this time long enough for her to find where it was coming from. Her head turned sharply to her left, towards an alleyway. Cell had to be in there.  
  
Walking to the alleyway with caution, several thoughts started racing through her head. 'Come on, Cell's got to be there. Where else could the ki be coming from? But what will I do if I do find him? He's probably way stronger than me... But is he smarter? I hope not. That'll be my defense strategy. I'll outwit him and get him to give me all the information I can get. Then maybe I can find a weakness to defeat and destroy him.'  
  
Content with her plan for now, she carefully walked to the alley. Another flicker of ki confirmed her thoughts on Cell's whereabouts. He was definitely in there now. Yet she couldn't decide whether he was fluxuating his power deliberately or not. Did he want her to find him?  
  
'Probably is testing my willpower and courage. That jerk!' Finally fed up with this little game she figured him to be playing, she called out to Cell.  
  
"Cell, come out now! You and I both know that I know you're in there!" Sekai waited for some reaction. For a moment, all was silent except for the light breeze blowing by. Her ears became alert to the squeaking sound echoing off the walls of the buildings encasing the alley which was the source.  
  
KT-TCH...KT-TCH...KT-TCH...KT-TCH...  
  
The footsteps were slow and calm. He was walking casually and taking his time. That annoyed Sekai even more, seeing that he didn't feel the need to rush into anything. It was as if he thought time was his and that he controlled it all. Her ki raised a bit in anger, but she was quick to supress it. She didn't want to show off any power that would possibly be to her advantage.  
  
A few seconds passed by and Cell finally revealed himself from his hiding place. As she looked at him, Sekai became even more disgusted just by looking at him. She saw him smirk at her and her anger rose, making her wish she could just wipe it off permanently. He thought he was so great, but she knew that if he thought that, then he may underestimate her and give her a chance to defeat him. That was usually how it went with conceited guys. They were so absorbed with thinking they were all high and mighty with their enormous egos that it eventually led to their downfall.  
  
"Well, hello again, my dear," Cell rasped casually.  
  
She answered him with a deep scowl.  
  
"Oh, I see that you have a rather ugly bruise. Did I give that to you? I'm so sorry," he pointed out. Of course, it was clear by the tone of his voice that he felt no remorse whatsoever about hitting her before.  
  
She growled. "Well, my bruise isn't as ugly as you are, you hideous, green cockroach!" She had decided long ago that she didn't need to be polite or respectful to Cell, no matter how much her parents had taught her to be courteous to all beings.  
  
Cell flinched, only slightly angered by her remark. He replaced his anger with a smirk as he always did to hide his true emotions.  
  
"Oooh, clever comeback," he laughed. "But, I shall admit, you are a bold one for saying it. Other people are too frightened of me to say anything like that. And some can't even utter their last coherent syllables in their fright!" he laughed.  
  
"You disgust me. You think this all a big game, don't you? You think it's fun to harm others. Well, let me tell you something. It's not. It's downright sickening," she sneered at him.  
  
Again, Cell smirked. "Well, maybe to you it's no fun, since you're the prey. But I need these people's life forces for my own power. After a while, it gets boring killing helpless innocents. There's no challenge in it. If it weren't for the fact that I needed the energy of this planet, I would have destroyed it long ago. But with the encounter we made last time, I'm hoping that that challenge that I'm looking for will at least be slightly fulfilled by you." As he said that, he got into a fighting stance.  
  
That last comment enraged Sekai. "So you do think this is all a game! And you believe that I'll be your toy? I don't think so!" she yelled.  
  
"Frankly, my dear, you have no choice in the matter." He prepared to attack her.  
  
"Wait!" She cried out. "I want to know something else."  
  
"And just what would that be to interrupt the start of our next match?" By the tone of his voice, Sekai could tell that he was getting impatient.  
  
"Back in the hotel... You attacked all the people in there and killed them. Yet you didn't come after me. Why?"  
  
Cell seemed to pause for a moment to think, when in reality, he was leaving Sekai in suspense. "Hmm... That is an interesting and, admittingly, intelligent question." Sekai waited for his response. "But I'm afraid I cannot tell you the answer to it just yet. You see, if I did, then it would completely ruin my plans."  
  
"Plans?" Sekai worried even more at that.  
  
Cell nodded. "I like to have fun, too, you know. And to tell you anything about them would destroy my fun."  
  
"Fun?! You thrive to kill innocent people! You aren't possibly capable of having fun nor do you have the right to it." Her heart pounded with the passionate feeling of justice in her chest. This creature didn't deserve any justice.  
  
"But who's to stop me? You? Don't make me laugh. Or would you like to challenge me, hmm?" He leaned further on his right leg towards her, daring her to make a move.  
  
"Before I do, I have one more question. You attacked the hotel just a while after I arrived there. For what reason did you go to that place at that specific time? It couldn't have just been coincidence." Her body tensed in anticipation of what he would say next.  
  
Cell straightened and crossed his arms, almost in annoyance. "My, you are so full of inquisitions. But you are right about one thing. It couldn't have been a coincidence. What do you think?"  
  
"Argh! Just give me a straight answer!" She was sick and tired of having to deal with his arrogance and riddles.  
  
"Well, I cannot give you an answer for that question either. As I said earlier, it would ruin my plans if I did." He uncrossed his arms and got into a fighting stance. "Just know that I was there for some fun."  
  
Sekai growled and remained silent. She had been planning to stall him and come up with a plan, but no such luck had come to her. All she could think of was to fight him like he wanted her to and hope that she would live by some miracle. She knew she couldn't beat him, and that scared her even more.  
  
'He's just too much to handle. I've never faced anyone like him before. And I don't think any of my past training could help me all that much against him,' She thought. Although she hadn't yet seen a person be killed by the disgusting being in front of her, she could only imagine the pain that that person must have gone through. The sharp spike being driven through your body...  
  
She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the image and feeling. Breathing sharply out of her nose, she raised her eyelids to see Cell staring at her while tapping his foot.  
  
"Well, I'm glad that you've finally decided to join those and myself who are still in this world. You really shouldn't let your guard down like that. It could be very crucial in your survival."  
  
Sekai blinked. He had just given her some advice? What for?  
  
'Because he thinks I'm too ignorant to figure things out for myself. That's why,' Anger fueled into her system once again. She crouched into a fighting stance. 'I'll show him who's ignorant! I don't care how strong he is or whether I'll die right now. Somebody's got to teach him a lesson!'  
  
"Why don't you quit trying to coach me and just worry about that head on your shoulders? 'Cause I am not taking any more of this!" Her ki rose in her mix of anger, excitement, and, most of all, fear.  
  
"Very well then." He crouched down as well. "Let's dance." And they headed for each other.  
  
  
  
*Comes back after her little happy, emotional moment.* Ahh, wow! This chapter was actually exceptionally long! O.o (Well, to me.) Let's see how long I can keep this up. I hope this made up for the last chapter which didn't have as much action or anything. ^_^ Bye for now! 


	7. Trouble for Sekai

Here's another chapter of CaM. Have fun reading! (I'm really getting some confidence now... ^_^ )  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: The flame was just a thought, but let's not give any ideas now! O.o Aw, I just don't know how to express my appreciation and gratitude in words. ^_^ And I'm succeeding thanx to kind reviews from you and everyone else. Without you guys, I'd have no point in writing. And I know what that feels like to have a story suddenly updated. It's like your entire bad day suddenly turns upside down(well, that happens to me... I pretty easy to please. ^_^()). Aw, a favorite? Now I feel really special! ^_^ You won't have to wait so long, hopefully. I try to update this within one to two days.  
  
Masquerade: Hey, I try! But it's still pretty hard for me since I'm a hopeless romantic. ^_^() And I'm glad that this is bringing some smiles to your face! I try to keep everyone happy.  
  
lilmissgoten: It is hard to decide who to cheer for, ne? With Cell being my favorite character and Sekai being my OWN character, I just don't know who to root for. *sigh* Decisions, decisions... Yeah, I kinda slacked on the updates and spaced them to every other day, so I wanted to make up for it. And I also couldn't find a place to stop any earlier. ^_^()  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Yep, it's on all right! And you can guess that it won't be pretty. Thanx again. ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: Same as last time. DBZ-- Definitely is NOT mine. Sekai-- Definitely IS mine. What else is there to say? Anyone can figure that out.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Seven  
  
  
  
Sekai barely had any time to dodge the punch that Cell sent to her head. His moves were very fast and it was hard to keep up with him. A kick to the stomach knocked her away into an empty building. A broken rib made itself known as a loud snap from the contact rang in her ears. The rubble crashed on top of her, only adding to her pain.  
  
Groaning, she pulled herself out of the debris and shakily stood before him, holding her side. She had no time to react when he suddenly punched her in the nose. She yelped and backed away but was unable to miss his tail striking her in the shoulder. Getting knocked down again and holding her nose, she felt warm liquid on her fingers. It was bleeding. She glared daggers at him as she heard him chuckling at her.  
  
"Shut up!" she shouted. Trying hard not to burst in tears from the pain her body had endured so far, she pinched her nose for a minute to stop the bleeding. Cell continued to laugh but more softly.  
  
"Oh, little girl, are you going to cry now? Sorry, dear, but I want to see just how much fight you have in you," he joked.  
  
"I am not your toy to be played with! And don't call me 'dear'!" she shouted at him. Things were not going too well for her.  
  
"Then tell me your name. I haven't yet learned it and it would be nice for me to know who I am fighting. Of course, I don't guarantee that you'll be called by your name," he said.  
  
"Then why should I give it to you?" she shot back. Her side burned achingly and she felt like collapsing just to ease the pain.  
  
"Well, you know my name so it would only be fair if I knew yours, too, wouldn't it?" he reasoned.  
  
"Since when are you one to be fair?" She wondered where this conversation was going. She removed her hand from her nose and, fortunately, the bleeding had stopped for now.  
  
"I can be quite fair. But your degree of fairness and my degree of fairness are two completely different things," he said.  
  
She was silent for a moment. Then she decided it wouldn't hurt to tell him. Besides, she'd rather be called by her name than by the nickname 'dear'.  
  
"Sekai."  
  
He repeated her name without sound. "Quite a lovely name. It suits you."  
  
She wondered if he meant that or was being sarcastic. It was hard to tell. What she could tell was that now Cell wanted to get back to fighting, and she just didn't know if she could hold up this time. She had to stall him to regain some precious energy.  
  
"Why can't you tell me as to why you spared me? Don't tell me you just got full from your killing spree."  
  
Cell smirked. "I didn't want to disturb you with your bath," he joked.  
  
She got a little mad, realizing that he had known what she had been doing at the time when he had been "feeding". She tried to calm herself. "No jokes, Cell! Really, why did you spare me?"  
  
"All will be revealed to you in due time," he answered cryptically. His response only annoyed her further. Finally, she was fed up with all of the chitchat.  
  
"Fine. And about your timing back at that place?" She pressed.  
  
"There's nothing I can say that will be of any use to you. So let's get going with this. But this fight will not be the last, I assure you." His statement was confident.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. We'll see," she sighed. Oh, well. The important thing was that she tried and managed to replenish a small amount of her energy. She got into a fighting stance. Cell did the same.  
  
No more words were exchanged at that moment. All was silent as one waited for the other to make the first move. After several tense moments, the two ran at each other simultaneously.  
  
Sekai decided to make the first attempt to go on the offensive. She realized that at her power, it would be the only chance she had. She just had to take a chance while he underestimated her. Her fist shot for Cell's face but was caught by his hand. She threw her other fist at him in another attempt to strike but that was caught as well. The cocky expression on his face angered her further and she called forth some more of her energy to get out of the position they were locked in.  
  
With an extra boost of strength, Sekai managed to twist her body in such a position to where she put some space between them, with their hands still together, and kicked him hard in the chin. Surprised, Cell's head snapped back from the force of the hit and he let go of her hands, leaving himself open to an attack to his abdomen. She punched him there.  
  
Cell staggered back a few steps and growled. Before he could defend himself, Sekai landed a doublekick to his stomach again. With a burst of energy, he jumped up and floated in the air, high enough so that she couldn't reach him.  
  
"Hey, get back down here!" she yelled at him.  
  
He looked down at her and smiled suddenly. "What's the matter? Can't you fly?"  
  
He saw her stiffen for a moment, but she quickly covered it up with a mean glare. That moment was all he needed to find something very important about her.  
  
'Hehe... There's one weakness I have discovered about you, my dear,' he thought.  
  
"Why do I need to fly?" Sekai questioned after a moment.  
  
"Until you do, you have no chance against me if you even had one at all before," he informed her.  
  
"I can do just fine even without having to fly," she denied. "Flying can be made up for with my brains."  
  
Cell smirked at her, amused. It was fun to watch her come up with excuses she probably couldn't even back up. "Really? You think so? Well, why don't we just find out how smart you are then?" He landed back on the ground. He had been wondering if she knew how to use ki power yet. He would have to try that in the fight and see. Once more, he got into a fighting stance. "Just try to get past my defenses now."  
  
Sekai was very nervous. She didn't know just what Cell was planning in that head of his and it caused her to tense up. Calling forth more energy from within, which she had been able to retrieve every time they paused to "talk", she ran at him again with great speed. Their little sparring match began.  
  
Cell took note of her every move and Sekai did the same with him. He pretty much kept his power at her level to make the fight last longer. Sekai was giving all she had, and she was getting frustrated with Cell blocking and countering her every attack. She jumped up and behind him to land a roundhouse kick to his head. Suddenly, in a blur, he just disappeared.  
  
She landed on her feet and blinked. Cell had completely vanished from her sight, and he was hiding his ki so she couldn't locate him. Anxiety and nervousness began to get to her. It was then that she felt energy coming together. She looked over her shoulder and saw Cell in the air in a stance with his hands cupped to his right side and his feet apart in a way that made it look like he was standing on solid ground. She heard him saying something.  
  
"Kame...Hame...HA!"  
  
A bright blue burst of light shot out of his hands as he aimed it for her and it rocketed towards her. Sekai had no idea what to do. She couldn't dodge it in time and she didn't know how to counter it. So all she could do was put her hands up in front of her and try to hold it off. The blast made contact with her bare skin and burned her hands. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, for fear that Cell would hear her. She ground her teeth, trying to keep the blast from pushing her back. He was pushing a little more energy into it and making it more difficult for her to fend off. At last, when she couldn't take the pain anymore, her arms slipped from their hold on the energy ball and made contact with the entire middle half of her body, knocking her into yet another building. Her scream echoed off the walls of the other buildings as dust blew around everywhere and hid her.  
  
As the dust slowly cleared and Sekai came into view, Cell stared at her fallen body. She lay on the ground, panting hard with her head turned to the side away him. She wasn't looking so good, and she appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness as her eyes fluttered and the lids became heavier. The hem and parts of the sleeves of her shirt had been left ragged, and her pants had been turned into torn capris. Her green hair had been singed a little with the tips slightly blackened. All in all, she looked terrible and pathetic. Yet, in a way, he felt a small amount of respect towards her. After all, she had managed to get attacks in through his defenses and had survived his blast. He had even had to put in a bit more energy to knock her away! Cell truly wondered how deep her powers ran through her.  
  
Sekai's body burned all over. She couldn't even let herself move; the pain was so great. She knew that now was her time to die. Cell was approaching her right now. He landed on the ground and walked in her direction. His haunting footsteps exaggeratingly intensified and rang in her head like terrible sledgehammers that would crush her skull withing a moment's time. She felt certain that her day of judgment was nearing...  
  
KT-TCH... KT-TCH... KT-TCH... KT-TCH...  
  
Her panting had ceased finally, but her heart continued its rapid beat. She had always feared death, not for death itself, but the way in which she would die. She didn't want to die like this, and that only made her fear heighten itself. A view of his right, three-toed foot came into her line of vision. Almost immediately, her entire system seemed to shut down; her lungs ceased to breathe, her heart stopped its fast pounding, and her eyes glazed over. After a moment, she slowly blinked and her gaze fell upon his face. Only her eyes moved; everything else still remained immobile. He just stared back at her, not saying anything. Then his expression turned into one of victory again. Sekai's eyes widened and she became even more frightened.  
  
"Well, it looks like I've won again," he spoke triumphantly. "And I believe that now is the time for me to taste that bit of power you possess." His tail rose menacingly over her and aimed for her vulnerable form. All that ran through Sekai's mind was that cruel smirk on his face and the spike that shot towards her chest faster than any bullet...  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, there's a first. I guess I kinda left you all with a cliffhanger. O.o Oh, no! I am becoming evil like Cell! O.o Eep! Don't hurt me, please. I'll try to post the next chapter as fast as my fingers can type(That's not too slow... I think.). Until then, sit tight! Bye! ^_^ 


	8. Confusion and Beliefs

Here's another chapter of CaM. What else can I say? Umm... Go read and review!(Not that I need to tell you that...) ^_^  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: Yeah, I guess it's just something about 'first times'. How they make you nervous and all, you know what I mean? But because of many good people in the world, the fear slowly diminishes and is replaced with confidence. Reviews are a helpful thing as well as an ego booster. ^_^ Yeah, and it seems the pace I'm going at is working just fine for me. And writing is getting somewhat easier, too. I'm glad I'm not too slow. I'm glad it's getting a little exciting for you. ^_^ I'm returning the favor for the excellent fics you wrote. I find suspenseful fics really fun to read!  
  
kristy: Hey, thanx! ^_^ I hope the cliffhanger wasn't that bad... O.o  
  
Masquerade: It was THAT bad? O.o Now, I've heard everything. Thanx, I like to visualize what I read so... yeah. You know. ^_^ I'll try and you can call me PAC or Koneko. Either one works fine. ^_^ I guess it is kind of a fad... I got it from SSJ4 Goku.  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Eee... I told you I'm becoming evil. But I gotta be quick to change back. Otherwise, I might become lazy and slack off on the updates! O.o Thanx! And just ignore Cell. You can say whatever you want however many times you want. It's a free country. ^_^  
  
Pen Dragon: Just sit, wait, and hang on from that cliff 'cause the next chapter's here!  
  
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Disclaimer: Oh, geez, I nearly forgot about this. DBZ's not mine and Sekai and her parents and new people are. Okay? That about covered it. Yep...  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Eight  
  
  
  
Blurred images passed through her mind.  
  
A day of bright sunshine...  
  
... Smiling faces of her mother and father...  
  
... A game of tag...  
  
... A sudden flash of light...  
  
... Cold rain pouring down...  
  
... An already open door...  
  
... splatters of a deep red color...  
  
... screaming...  
  
... more red color...  
  
... "Mom! Dad!" She heard herself calling...  
  
***  
  
The pain never came. Sekai suspected that her death would certainly not be painless. Something must have happened.  
  
Wind wildly blew about her and, strangely, she felt as if she was floating. Carefully, she opened her eyes and stared straight ahead. Clear blue sky came to her view along with puffy, white clouds. Not only that, but a familiar face greeted her none too kindly.  
  
"Good, you're alive," came a gruff statement that didn't sound all that relieved.  
  
Almost immediately, the events of the past few minutes came back to Sekai. The rush of information made her head hurt, and she shut her eyes painfully. She groaned and went to put her hand to her forehead, but the slight movement in her right arm made it scream in protest and burn. She figured it was broken. She cried out softly. The man holding her held something in front of her. It looked to be a bean of some sort. She looked up at him in a daze.  
  
"Eat it." He commanded. She did as she was told without knowing why. She just felt the need to obey him. Taking the bean into her mouth, she slowly chewed and swallowed the hard food. Her body began to feel strange and with a burst, she felt great energy returning to her. It was as if she had been magically healed! Sekai stared at him with her mouth open and knew she had been fully and magically healed.  
  
Suddenly, her eyes flew open at the remembrance of Cell. Where was he?! Panic rose inside of her and she struggled to get away from who she figured was her rescuer.  
  
"Hey, Piccolo, be careful! She's getting a little hysterical," An unfamiliar voice sounded. The grip on Sekai tightened and held her more firmly.  
  
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure Cell doesn't get away," Piccolo responded. Sekai turned to the new voice and was surprised at what she saw. It looked to be a regular human, but he was very short and bald. He also had no visible nose. By the six dots on his forehead, she could tell that he was a monk. But what Piccolo had said made her freak out.  
  
'Cell is here?! Where is his? Wasn't he just about to make shish kabab out of me?!' Her mind whirled in a frenzy. She just wanted to get away from it all, but from the way Piccolo was holding her, she couldn't even breathe. As soon as she found her voice, she yelled out loudly.  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
Piccolo nearly dropped her from the loudness of her voice coming into his sensitive ears. She was also sure that Cell had heard her as well for he called out to Piccolo right then.  
  
"Piccolo, give me back my lunch! She is mine to deal with!" Cell growled. Piccolo ignored him and, instead, turned his attention to Tien.  
  
"Tien, come and take this girl away from here. And this time, don't let her get away from you!" Piccolo said. At hearing the name 'Tien', Sekai tried even harder to get away.  
  
"Uh-uh! No way am I gonna deal with him again! Put me down this instant!" She yelled. She attempted to kick Piccolo in the face to make him let go, but with the daze she had been in just previously, her entire coordination was off and she missed.  
  
"Don't be so difficult!" Piccolo was getting very annoyed with her poor cooperation.  
  
"Please, miss, we're just trying to help you and want to take you to a safe place away from here," Another new person tried to reason. He was a very well-built man with lavender hair. "It's too dangerous to be here."  
  
"Didn't I tell you to keep away from Cell before?!" Obviously, Piccolo shouted, angered. He almost had the urge to drop her on her head to knock some sense into her. Yet the part of him that was Kami tried to calm him.  
  
She'd had enough of this. All these men didn't know how far she'd gotten and survived, and they probably didn't care either. They were just going to baby her until she was driven mad by it all. "Well, everything was going just fine before you butted in!" she lied. She wasn't going to say just how bad things had gotten before they had arrived.  
  
"It wasn't looking that way when we came here and I had to save you from being absorbed by Cell," Piccolo pointed out. "In fact, you looked ready to die."  
  
Sekai bared her teeth and fought to keep her embarrassment from showing. Piccolo just knew how to push her buttons, and it wasn't helping her confidence in the least.  
  
"Well, at least I tried and fought for all those who died because of him," She defended. "And I will continue to do so even if I do have to die."  
  
"You're really insane, aren't you?!" Tien yelled at her. "You're digging yourself a grave by wanting to fight Cell!"  
  
The two new men snapped to attention. "She wants to fight Cell?!" they cried in unison.  
  
"Uh, listen, miss, but you really shouldn't get involved in this. Do you know just who Cell is?" The purple-haired man, once again, warned her.  
  
"She doesn't get anything, Trunks," Tien, still a little annoyed with Sekai, said. "She doesn't know when to run, even when she knows she doesn't stand a chance against Cell."  
  
"Hey, I managed to get away from you, didn't I?" she remarked slyly.  
  
"I'm not Cell!" he yelled.  
  
"Would you all just keep quiet for a moment?!" Piccolo silenced them all. "In case you have forgotten, Cell is still here and has been listening to all of you bicker." He had been watching Cell the whole time, while speaking in the little conversation between the girl and Z-senshi.  
  
They all turned to the sound of Cell's laughing, raspy voice. "Thank you, Piccolo. I must admit, I was getting a little annoyed with their nonsense as well."  
  
"Nonsense?!" Sekai growled. "I'll show you nonsense!" She went to lunge for Cell, but Piccolo continued to restrain her. "Hey, let me go!"  
  
"Man, she's feisty!" The short, bald man exclaimed.  
  
"Do you want to get your butt kicked?" Tien asked.  
  
She growled and glared at him, hard enough to shatter glass. Once she stopped struggling, Piccolo loosened his grip on her. Cell chuckled again.  
  
"Shut up, you freak!" She was angry and embarrassed to be held down like an toddler, and having Cell see that made it even worse.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there will be no fight at this moment. You see, I have a meeting with a couple of androids." He flew into the air. "But here's a little parting gift for you all." He put his hands to the sides of his face, palms facing towards him.  
  
"Solar Flare!" A bright light shown over Sekai and the Z-senshi. The light was intensified by the sun and no one had enough time to shield their eyes from the brightness of it all.  
  
"Ah! Cell!" Sekai yelled out, covering her eyes from the light. After some moments, the bright light finally faded to a normal intensity. Everyone slowly removed their hands from their faces and blinked their eyes into focus.  
  
"Argh, Cell, you coward! Get back here!" Piccolo called out to the empty air above. He growled in frustration.  
  
"Argh! He thinks he's such a big shot!" Sekai complained and wished that she could fly after him. Yet she knew she couldn't, whether she was being held back or not.  
  
"You get out of here for the last time. You've gotten in enough trouble already," Piccolo tried to stay calm at her. He couldn't let his anger get to his head. After all, she was just a kid. He floated to the ground and put her down.  
  
"ME?! Why should I listen to you? You're not my parent." She was losing her cool again and beginning to boil.  
  
"You should listen to me because you know it's futile to face Cell. We both know that you stand no chance against him."  
  
"And you and I both know that I have more potential than you think. You just aren't willing to accept that fact."  
  
Piccolo's eyes narrowed and he growled, baring his sharp fangs. Sekai wasn't fazed at all. Her eyes dared him to challenge her.  
  
Yet, in the end, Piccolo turned away from her regally as if fighting her would be a waste of his time. Her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks took on a pinkish hue at being turned away so easily. A part of her wanted to go out and lash at him, just to show him who was boss.  
  
"Go. Now." His tone was different and unfamiliar to her. There was no anger, frustration, or anything in it. In fact, it sounded monotonous. It clearly showed that he was not to be messed with. Sekai blinked. Should she heed his silent warning or not?  
  
"And if I don't? What will you do?" She knew she was treading on thin ice, but she really wanted to know. His response would tell her all she wanted to know about his threats; if they were empty or not.  
  
Piccolo remained silent for a moment. "Then I will have no choice but to take you with us to the Kame house where you will be closely watched and be ensured that you won't get into any trouble. I suggest you get away from Cell once and for all if you don't want to lose that freedom."  
  
She stared at his back. His tone was dead serious and not to be tampered with. The others were watching her, she knew, but she paid no mind to them. Piccolo's response made her think. She would have to consider it. After all, she couldn't just run away from Cell suddenly now, no matter what anyone said. Should she lie? It seemed to be the only way. She decided to make it look like a compromise.  
  
"Look, I make no guarantees that I won't make any encounters with Cell in the future. But I will try to stay away from him. I mean, I can't help it if Cell comes after me when I'm not even going after him. You can't blame me for that, can you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "And, in any case, if I do happen to meet up with him and he wants to fight me, then I will have no choice but to defend myself. I'll just stall until you guys come to 'save' me. How's that for a deal?" She waited for Piccolo's verdict.  
  
He was silent for a long time. Finally, he turned his head toward her and said,"Fine. Just as long as you don't go looking for him. I'm going to be taking your word for this. From a warrior to a warrior."  
  
The last statement took everyone aback, especially Sekai. She hadn't expected Piccolo to be the kind of person with a pure honor. He may not have known it, but that one statement made her respect him so much. She said the one thing that she felt he truly deserved at the moment.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"It's fine. Just remember the deal." With that, he started to float into the air.  
  
"Hey, Piccolo, we're just gonna leave her here?!" The bald man, once again, called out. The others called out their objections as well.  
  
"She'll be fine, Krillin. She knows what she has to do now," Piccolo reassured. Yet he wasn't sure himself whether to believe that or not. He continued to fly off. Sekai simply stood there and watched.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Tien asked.  
  
"We're going to try to track down Cell. Hopefully, by now, he hasn't caused too much damage," Piccolo told. The three nodded and together, they flew off in the direction they hoped Cell had gone.  
  
Sekai continued to stand there and take in all that had happened. She thought hard about what to do. 'Now I feel horrible about lying to Piccolo like that. He seemed to truly believe what I said.' She thought again of why she lied in the first place. 'But it was something I had to do. I shouldn't be blaming myself for something that just had to be done.'  
  
Still not completely satisfied with her argument, she sighed and turned to head out of the city. Pulling a capsule out of her pocket, she opened up her air bike. Getting on and starting it, she began driving out of the city of Ginger Town.  
  
'In a way, a part of me still doesn't want to run into Cell, especially after the fight I just got into with him. If it weren't for Piccolo and his friends arriving at that moment, I wouldn't even be here right now. And I'm so scared of Cell...'  
  
Sekai gulped and tried to keep her mind on driving. The worst way she could die now was by getting in a car crash. Yet her mind refused to obey her. The image of Cell's tail came into her mind once again. She shook her head slightly to clear the picture. She'd just had too close an encounter with that thing.  
  
'And I don't even want to think about how it would feel if that spike actually made contact with its target. But the people who died did make contact it, and they most likely went through unimaginable pain. I can't let that monster get away with his crimes if I can help it.'  
  
She continued to drive until the city was out of her sight. Her last thought as she drove to the forest was, 'I will fight on... but my fear holds me back so... I'm just so confused.'  
  
  
  
You know, these chapters are getting longer and longer, aren't they? Weird... I guess I had a lot to write about in this chapter then... Oh, well! The more, the better, ne? Yeah... Next chapter should be out within a day or two! Later! ^_^ 


	9. Famish and Fear

Another chappie to read!(Man, that's getting old...) Have fun and review, too, with all that other junk. ^_^  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: It is something to think about, huh? And I guess you're psychic or something if you thought I wouldn't get flamed for this... So far. ^_^() Aw, thanx. And then I pray for those who may flame in the future; they'd better beware your wrath! ^_~ And your reviews especially keep me going. You may not have known, but your answers to my reviews in your stories are what really inspired me to write and post this. That's why your support means so much to me. ^_^ Suspenseful? Cool, I try to go for that. And they are excellent! So keep writing! I'm trying for drama, too, sort of... ^_^()  
  
Masquerade: Psst! Just between you and me... I don't know either. ^_^() I'm just doing spur-of-the-moment things so... yeah. It's just as surprising to all of you as it is to me then, I guess. ^_^ And sleep if you want! Sleep is good... You know I like to sleep. ^_^() And I will keep writing! Unless my fingers magically become paralyzed... O.o Don't want that!  
  
lilmissgoten: Yep, a girl needs her privacy, you know. And if she does, well... She'll have to do something, certainly! "Hopefully" is the keyword... And I wonder, too... O.o Thanx, I will! ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Yep, she did. Guess she likes to play with fire a bit... Thanx. And, once again, ignore Cell. He's just jealous 'cause he's not getting any thumbs ups. ^_~ And I appreciate those, too, so I hope they stay up!  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything related to it. Just Sekai and her parents... So far... I'm just going with the flow of it so... maybe more new characters, maybe not. ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Nine  
  
  
  
It had gotten dark.  
  
A low grumble filled the air.  
  
Sekai frowned at her stomach's cry for a nice meal. She had reached a deserted forest with low vegetation, and now she was driving around on her air bike looking for a morsel of edible food. So far, there had been no lakes or rivers to be found so fish was automatically ruled out. Strangely, the animals seemed to be missing or in hiding.  
  
'Guess they're scared of Cell, too,' she thought. 'But I've got to find something to eat!' Her stomach, once again, growled in protest for something to be put into it. She sighed and shook her head of any thoughts of food. It was hard to concentrate on driving.  
  
As she drove about, weaving through the thick trees, she spotted a blackberry bush. Immediately, she jumped off her air bike and leaving it on, dove for the bush. Unfortunately, at closer inspection, she realized that nearly none of the berries were mature enough to be edible. Almost stubborn to eat them anyway, Sekai kept telling herself that she didn't want to get sick from berry poisoning. With another sigh, she got back onto her bike and continued on.  
  
"Grr... I can't believe there's nothing in this huge forest to eat. Where the hell are all the animals?!" Without knowing it, Sekai's angered voice brought about some rustling in the trees up above. Yet with what was on her mind, she didn't catch the sound.  
  
"Man, I just wish that something would jump out so I can kill it and eat it," At this point, she was simply rambling now, her body and mind exhausted. More rustling stirred, and, this time, she didn't miss it.  
  
"Huh? What's that?" She looked up into the large trees through the darkness. It was as if they were whipping about wildly now, but there wasn't even a gentle breeze blowing.  
  
Suddenly, a thick tree branch crashed to the ground right in front of her. Putting the brake on, she screeched her bike to a halt just before it made contact with the branch. Taking in a breath quickly, she looked all about her yet saw no one. Was it simply an act of nature?  
  
'I don't like this...'  
  
After a moment and completely forgetting about her hunger, Sekai thought she saw something zoom somewhere out of the corner of her eye. Not making any sudden movements, she lowered the gears to the bike so that it rested on the forest floor and then turned off the ignition. No sounds came from the direction she saw the movement. It was difficult to sense, with the ki being so low and all.  
  
'Is it Cell? Is it him just hiding his ki?' She squinted her eyes through the darkness to try to make out the shape of whatever was there. A pair of cat eyes glinted in the bushes just ahead of her. Her eyes widened slightly and she gulped down a lump in her throat. More rustling confirmed the location of the creature.  
  
'Oh, god... Please don't let it be him... Please don't let it be him,' she kept repeating to herself but feeling that it was futile.  
  
Slowly and quietly, Sekai stepped down from the bike and, cautiously, circled it until it was between her and whatever was in the bushes. Breathing silently, she waited for the creature, whom she suspected was Cell, to come out. The rustling continued and a low grumble came from behind the brush. A few twigs snapped from where the thing was along with the occasional movement of leaves from the trees above.  
  
Several minutes passed and no more sounds were coming from the bushes. Sekai concluded that she was just being paranoid and that she would have been able to sense Cell easily, even if he did hide his ki a bit. She straightened her back and turned to go back around to search for a possible meal on foot. She immediately stopped in her tracks and gasped.  
  
A huge wildcat yowled and lunged at her. She held her arms out to keep the beast from biting her head off and pushed it against its throat. It screeched and lashed out with its foreleg, striking her cheek with its razor sharp claws. Its eyes glinted and she realized that it was the same creature from the brush. With some amount of strength, Sekai pushed it away and backflipped to the other side of the bike. She wiped her cheek clear of any blood.  
  
'Guess it wasn't Cell after all,' she thought, somewhat relieved.  
  
She prepared herself for its next attack and smiled, a little amused. "Well, it looks like I will be having some dinner tonight after all," she said. The cat hissed, as if offended, showing four white, pointy fangs. They looked to be about two to three inches in length. It growled low in its throat and ran its tongue over its mouth. It almost looked like it was smirking.  
  
Sekai frowned then. 'Well, it's certainly reminding me of Cell. It's doing a very accurate impression of him.' The beast jumped at her again, but she anticipated it this time and flipped it clear over her head, causing it to land on its side. Shaking its head and regaining some equilibrium, the animal hissed and went to claw her again. Tired of and bored with the little match, Sekai brought her fists together down hard on the wildcat's skull, causing its head to snap down far enough to break its neck and kill it. With a final thud, it fell to the ground, motionless.  
  
Sighing, Sekai turned to the fallen corpse and clapping her hands together once, bowed to it. As much as she didn't regret killing it, she always gave her respects and blessings to the deceased. It was just the way her mother and father taught her to be, and it was the way she accepted.  
  
'If it weren't for this creature coming across my path, then I'd probably starve to death,' she thought. Content with her find, she walked around and picked up some twigs and branches to build a fire with. Also, she capsulized her bike and got out some camping gear. She would rest here tonight.  
  
After she got the fire started, Sekai took a pocketknife from the back pocket of her ripped jeans and began to cut the fur from the animal. Then she cleaned the blood off with some bottled water and started to cook the meat over the fire. She began to eat.  
  
As she ate, her mind started to wander off again. She thought about Cell and where he could be now. He's probably looking for more victims to stab to death. 'Although with it being so dark, he might not find anyone,' she considered. 'But I bet he can see things clear as day no matter how dark it is with those freaky eyes of his.' She shuddered at the remembrance of those pink, slitted eyes. His eyes had actually been the first thing to strike fear into her heart; she hadn't even noticed his tail-- what she now believed to be his most lethal feature-- until she did a full inspection of his features at their first encounter. Taking a last bite of her meal, she stood up and went to put up a tent.  
  
She put up the tent and rolling out a sleeping bag, crawled into the tent with her capsules. The remains of the wildcat still lay by the burning fire. An uncomfortable feeling crept through her bones, making her shiver slightly.  
  
'What if Cell comes through these woods while I'm sleeping?' she worried. It was definitely something to consider. She knew how quietly Cell could creep around, and wanted to be prepared for anything. She thought about staying up all night and keeping watch, but knew that she'd be too exhausted to function properly the next day. Besides, she'd probably fall asleep anyways, considering how tired she was now.  
  
All she could think of was to keep some sort of weapon around just in case Cell did show up. Reaching for her emergency kit, she took out a silver dagger her father had given to her. Gazing at it thoughtfully, she remembered how she had come to possess such a beautiful object...  
  
***  
  
"Sekai! Come here for a minute, dear!" Yoru yelled from outside.  
  
Young Sekai bounded from inside the house and came running, gleefully. "Yes, Daddy?" Giggling, she jumped up into her father's arms and hugged him tightly. Yoru hugged her back and gently set her to the ground. He kneeled down until he was at eye level with Sekai and smiled at her. From his robes, he revealed a shining, silver dagger with a blood red ruby in the center of the hilt.  
  
"Here, Sekai-chan, I want you to have this," he said.  
  
Sekai looked at the object with wide eyes. "Oooh, what is it? It's so pretty and shiny."  
  
"It's a dagger that my father gave to me. It has been passed down in our family for many generations. A very special heirloom, it is." He paused to look Sekai in the face. "Before you were born, I had planned to give this dagger to my future son. Instead, having been blessed with a beautiful and wonderful daughter, I pass this on to you." He held the object out to her.  
  
"Oh, but I don't deserve it, Daddy! It's too beautiful," she objected.  
  
Yoru took Sekai's small hands into his large ones. He placed the dagger into hers and spoke to her softly. "You do deserve this, sweetheart. You have a great power sleeping within you. You, in fact, deserve so much more than this."  
  
Sekai stared at her father, trying to process it all into her young mind.  
  
He smiled. "I know you may not understand this all now, but you have something great inside of you. Your mother and I have felt it. When you cry with such emotion, when you laugh so heartedly, when you yell in a fit of anger. You reveal more of that power each time and one day, hopefully, you will come to realize it so that we may teach you how to use and master it."  
  
Sekai kept staring at her father, this time with her mouth hanging open. Although she had missed some of the points he made, she got the basic concept.  
  
She had a great power within her.  
  
'But how can I? I'm just a kid,' she thought.  
  
"It's okay, Sekai-chan, if you don't get this right now. I know it's a lot for you to take in. Just take this dagger," He tightened his grasp on her slightly, making the cool metal be felt in her warm hands,"And remember what I've said so that one day you may come to understand it. Promise me that you will remember what I have told you."  
  
Sekai slowly nodded her head. "I promise, Daddy." She took the dagger and hugged it to her chest as her father warmly smiled...  
  
***  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and grasped the hilt of the dagger tightly. Opening her eyes and blinking back tears, she took in a deep breath and lay down in her sleeping bag. She turned on her side and placed the dagger under her pillow, keeping her hand there in preparation.  
  
'It might not even affect him, but it's better than nothing... Mom, Dad... I miss you. I wish you were here to stay by my side. I wish you were here so you could explain to me and teach me of this power I'm just barely beginning to recognize. I'm so scared and confused. Cell is just so frightening and strong. What will I do?' That was the final thought she had before drifting off into her dream world.  
  
  
  
Out in the trees, another creature watched the tent closely and waited.  
  
'So she decides to sleep, eh? Well, that is a big mistake she is making, she'll soon discover.' Cell had been watching the entire events since the wildcat showed up. He was impressed with the hunting skills she used on the lowly animal. What had especially intrigued him was when she bowed down to the dead animal...  
  
'Perhaps she does hold some true honor for all living things... But it's not important right now. She had better be wary of me as the game progresses...' He dropped the subject for the moment and waited until he was sure Sekai was asleep. It would be then that he would make his move...  
  
  
  
Ooooh... What move is he planning to make? I don't know so don't bother asking me. ^_^() I'm just as surprised with the way things are going as you are. I'm just going with the flow... Yep... 


	10. Mysteries Revealed

Eeee... I didn't think I'd be able to get this chapter out today, but I did! It's been so busy on ff.net that I couldn't even log in! Plus, with me being sick and all, this chapter might not be as good so just bear with me. I've also got finals in two of my classes tomorrow and the day after. Yet I'll keep trying to post my chapters at this pace for all you awesome people! ^_^  
  
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Masquerade: I like her, too. She's hard for me to figure out and that makes it all the more fun to uncover her secrets! ^_^ We'll just see what he does... Don't worry, I will! I've reached the point of no return... O.o()  
  
SSJ4 Goku: I guess that's true. You can make anything happen if you try hard enough. I don't think there is any reasoning to flaming either; they're just dumb remarks that are totally without thought. That's why I never give flames. There are a few fics I've seen way back in the past that aren't so great like the one by Squeaky... *shudders* I just don't review if they're that bad. Well, you did! You truly are an inspiration to me. ^_^ And with all that you say about me, I just hope I don't get such a bloated ego. ^_^() I'll go read IMTU as soon as I can! ^_^  
  
mae: It's easy to overlook, I know. Especially since I'm not all that known except by the people who have been reviewing this whole story so far. But I'm glad it caught your eye! ^_^ Eee... More dosage for the ego... Gotta control it... Ah, there it goes... I have posted it as fast as I could and will try to keep doing so in the future! ^_^  
  
lilmissgoten: It is scary, isn't it? Makes me paranoid... Yeah, but you've got to sleep some time, you know. Whether you like it or not. ^_~ I will!  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Yes, he was, the little sneak... Well, maybe 'little' is off the mark a bit... But you know! ^_^ Thank you! And I'm glad I'm keeping those thumbs up! Ah, Cell is getting a little ahead of himself... And keep standing up to him! With his ego, you probably have nothing to worry about. ^_^  
  
Pen Dragon: All right! ^_^ I guess I'm still doing my job right then.  
  
LadyBuG: Thanx, I try. I use lots of different fics for reference and just jam 'em all together, like... yours, Masquerade's, SSJ4 Goku's... ^_^ You're all such great writers and it only makes sense to learn from the best. Yeah, Cell just loves to spy and eavesdrop. ^_^() He's a stalker... O.o Me neither... We'll just have to find out...  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ is owned by Akira Toriyama, not me. Sekai and her parents are mine but that's all. Has anyone noticed that this is the first time I mentioned the creator's name? I kept forgetting to mention him before, but after nine chapters, I finally did. ^_^ 'Yay' for me.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Ten  
  
She opened her eyes to bright sunlight. Immediately, she shut her eyes again to the feel of it and waited for them to adjust to it. Opening them again, Sekai sat up and looked around. Something felt strangely different.  
  
The first thing she noticed was that her stuff was gone. They were nowhere to be found, no matter where she turned. Also, it was as though she had been moved to a different location. The forest was looking much more lively than it had been last night.  
  
A sudden clap of thunder sounded and dark, heavy clouds hid the sun with rain beginning to pour down. She looked about her and started to run under a tree for some shelter. As soon as she reached the shade of one, it morphed into a hideous, black beast. Growling, it reached to snap her body in two in its enormous jaws...  
  
Sekai screamed and dashed away through the woods. Evil cackling echoed through the trees and she felt her body burn. She looked to her arms to see that the rain hissed and steamed in contact with her skin. She looked up and felt the rain burn on her cheeks. It was acid. A drop of the acid came into her eyes and she screamed at the fiery sensation. Running blindly to get away from this terrible place, she bumped into something hard and fell onto her back. Agonizingly, she opened her eyes to see what it was.  
  
She forgot all about her physical pain in that one moment.  
  
Although the mysterious figure wore a heavy black cloak, it was easy to tell that it was a human male. All Sekai could see of the man was his nose and jaw. As if sensing her fear in him, the man smiled cruelly and brandished her silver dagger.  
  
The moment Sekai saw the weapon, the man's form began to change and his cloak tore away as his body started to stretch. The transformation completed and there stood Cell, sending down his bulky arms to stab her with the very object that had been given to her by her father in a gesture of love and pride...  
  
***  
  
She awoke, soundlessly startled.  
  
Sekai stared up at the top of her tent, seeing that it was still late into the night. The moon was out; she could tell by the distorted shadows of the blowing trees.  
  
'Wait... Blowing? I don't feel any more wind than I did earlier,' she thought. Becoming suspicious and frightened, she began to turn to her side to reach for the dagger under her pillow. Her dream returned to her at that thought, and she shut her eyes to block it out. She went to get it but realized something.  
  
Her body wouldn't budge. It was frozen from her shock.  
  
She could feel the rapid beating of her heart and the sweat beading on her forehead. She could hear the slightly quick breathing from her lungs. Her muscles were taut and tense. Everything was tightly wound up inside her body.  
  
'Just great. What could be worse?' she thought in annoyance. The rustling of the trees and bushes to her left came to her ears. 'Where is this wind coming from? I don't feel anything. I guess I'm just numb.'  
  
The noise seemed to be getting louder and closer, unusually. It was like there was something out there walking through the brush and trees. But who or what?  
  
Sekai concentrated her mind to sense for anything strange. A ki flickered and faded. She concentrated harder and felt the fluxuation again. It was trying to hide itself.  
  
'But there's no animal intelligent enough or bothersome enough to want to hide its ki. Except probably some strong human or...' Her thoughts faded as she figured it out. Yet she had no time to react as the shadow of the being came into her view and its lethal tail ripped through the fabric of her tent and struck at her...  
  
... And missed by centimeters. Before it could have a chance to strike again, Sekai put all her effort into moving her paralyzed body. Managing success, she dove out of the tent and somersaulted to the forest floor. She turned right side up and stared as her tent collapsed and Cell jumped on top of it. He smiled almost pleasantly.  
  
"Well, hello again, is it 'Sekai'?" He rasped in amusement. Sekai got up and backed away a bit.  
  
"Why are you following me? What do you want from me?!" she yelled. She didn't like the idea of being stalked every minute of the hour.  
  
Cell narrowed his eyes and smirked in glee. "You know what I want from you."  
  
"No! I don't know what you want from me! You're just giving me these stupid riddles that can't be figured out. I can't find anything out from those," she huffed in frustration. Yet she knew that Cell wanted her to lose her temper. He found it amusing. 'I've got to calm down before I do something I'll regret. That's just what he wants me to do. To make a mistake.' She smiled at the irony. 'Too late. I already let my pride and honor get to my head, and now look what it's gotten me into... But I can't back out now.'  
  
"... isn't my fault that you humans aren't intelligent enough to figure out simple puzzles."  
  
She realized he had been speaking while she had been thinking. 'Darn! I might have missed something really important to figuring him out.' She had to know what he had said. Perhaps he had let something slip out. With luck, he might let that something slip out again...  
  
"What did you say? I didn't catch all of that," she asked politely. She didn't want to offend him from the question and have him take it the wrong way.  
  
Unfortunately, he did.  
  
"Don't mock me, little girl," he hissed, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You are already treading on thin ice as it is so you better watch what you say."  
  
A little idea played in her head and she decided to try it out. It wasn't anything that could really help her, but she wanted to see just what his response would be.  
  
"What? What did I say that was so wrong?" she asked innocently.  
  
"You know precisely what you said 'that was so wrong'. Don't play dumb," he crossed his arms.  
  
"Actually, I don't know. Could you spell it out for me? I'm not as smart as you are, O Wise One," Inwardly, she was laughing her head off even though she knew that she might lose her head at any moment. She just had to face him now or live in fear for the rest of her days, which might not be long.  
  
Cell's eyes widened at her subtle insult. He calmed himself before he blurted something impolite to her. "Well, you've just proven the intelligence level of the average human."  
  
"Ah, but not all humans are the same. Each one is unique with his or her own talent and special intelligence. You, of all people, should know that, Cell."  
  
"Yes, I do know that, but your theory is weakening and proving itself to be faulty and unclear. Now, you humans are better in stupidity and self- indulgence more than anything," he stated.  
  
"And what makes you so sure of that?" she inquired.  
  
"Data filed into my memory and observations."  
  
"Data? From where?" Her mind clicked to discovering the answer.  
  
Cell straightened up proudly and flourished his arms to show her a full view of himself, as if he thought of himself as some priceless and beautiful artwork. "I am an android. My entire being was created by the scientist, Dr. Gero. He designed me in such a way that is nearly flawless and perfect. While I grew in the liquid tank that provided all the nutrients I needed, the information that Dr. Gero felt I would need was transferred into my memory bank and I learned about all the beings my cells were made up of."  
  
Sekai interrupted his little lecture for a moment. "What do you mean by the beings your cells were made up of?"  
  
Cell chuckled. "My design was formed from the cells of the greatest fighters in the universe. You may know some of them. I have the cells of the Namekian Piccolo, Tien, Krillen, the Saiya-jin Prince Vegeta, the Saiya- jin Gohan, and the Saiya-jin Goku along with the cells of the tyrant Frieza and his father, King Cold and a few insignificant others."  
  
"Like all the people you killed?"she asked angrily. 'And could that be where your name comes from?'  
  
"Oh, no, my dear. The humans were only absorbed for their life energy. Only their energy was transferred into my body, not their cells," he corrected.  
  
"I see..." Sekai contemplated this new discovery and knowledge. She still had one more question that needed to be answered. "But what is your reason for killing so many people? You're already the strongest creature on this entire planet."  
  
"Well, that is a good question. I'm glad that this hasn't been a total waste of time. For you, I will answer it." He tapped his tail in indifference. "You see, the energy I need is to overcome a larger and more specific source of energy. The form you see me in now is not my final and perfect form. I need this specific power to attain my ultimate perfection."  
  
"Ultimate perfection?" Sekai blinked.  
  
"Yes, my ultimate perfection. My final form is estimated to be thousands of times stronger than the form I am in now. But in order to reach that form, I need the energy of two other androids."  
  
"There are more androids out there?!" The thought of more creatures like Cell nearly made her swoon from the danger of it all. It was just so overwhelming.  
  
Cell smirked. "Yes, there are. But they are not as dangerous or strong as I am. I need the specific power of Androids 17 and 18. They are my steps to perfection."  
  
"Androids 17 and 18..." she whispered. 'They might not be as strong as Cell, but they still must be pretty strong if Cell needs all those humans for energy,' she considered. 'But maybe these other androids aren't evil like he is...'  
  
As if reading her thoughts, Cell dashed her hopes. "These androids have caused much damage in my time. And they have done so here in this time as well."  
  
"Your time? What do you mean?" Things were getting very confusing and complicated. Exactly how much could a sixteen-year-old take?!  
  
"I am from the future. I traveled here in a time machine to find these androids. They had already been killed by the boy, Trunks, whom you saw earlier. He is from the future as well. Do you see how crucial these androids are in my existence? I would travel through time and space to absorb them into my body and become perfect."  
  
Sekai looked at him for a while, taking everything in. Then she asked, "Why are you so obsessed with becoming 'perfect', as you call it? What's wrong with the way you are?" 'Besides your ugly looks,' she thought but didn't say it aloud.  
  
Cell growled. "This form is not the one I am meant to keep. I have been created to achieve what no one else may. Perfection. Having no flaw or fault. Do you think I would pass up an opportunity like that? Would you?"  
  
She was taken aback by his question. She hadn't expected him to start interrogating her. Not processing everything quick enough, all she could blurt out was syllables. "Uh... I... Um..."  
  
"I wouldn't think so," he said. "Perfection is such a valuable and difficult thing to attain. And if I have the chance of reaching it, well, it wouldn't be normal to just let it pass by."  
  
'I hate to admit it... But he's got a point there. I probably would go for it if I was able to,' she thought. "I guess it would be kinda foolish to give it up..."  
  
"Yes, it would. Now that all that has been said, do you have any other questions?" Sekai could tell by his posture and the excited lashing of his tail that he enjoyed talking about himself.  
  
'Just a regular, egotistical jerk,' she frowned and spoke. "No, for now. All my questions have been answered for the moment."  
  
"Very good then. Now we can get to the main reason I came here for. You have a strangely high power compared to the other pitiful humans of this planet, and I must have to aid me in my quest." He uncrossed his arms and positioned himself as if he would pounce on her. Sekai rolled her eyes.  
  
'Why is this not surprising?' She heard him take steps off the fallen tent towards her and anticipated anything that she might be capable of.  
  
But the question that both didn't know the answer to was just what exactly was she capable of?  
  
  
  
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Well, there was chapter ten. Wow, I'm getting far. Hope it was okay... I just had a big dose of Nyquil... But before I conk out, I just want to say this: Spring break is next week! Woohoo! That means faster updates most likely and lots of reading and reviewing(for us all. ^_^). Next chapter might be out by Friday or Saturday. I'm kinda busy this week, so... just try to be patient!(But I know that can be hard... ^_^()) 


	11. More Mysteries and Trouble

Sorry to get this chapter out a little late. I'll try to make up for it somehow. Maybe I'll post two chapters in one day tomorrow or I'll make the next chapter longer or something... I don't know. I just hope you all enjoy. Happy reading! ^_^  
  
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Masquerade: Thanx!(again...) Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't... ^_^ He can be complicated at times. You don't have to wait any longer 'cause the next chapter's here! O.o You don't have spring break?! How evil your school must be! I'll keep writing, especially if it makes your days feel like spring break. ^_^  
  
SSJ4 Goku: That was a lot you wrote... I love it! I love long reviews! They're so fun to read. Yeah, I read your review to her and I couldn't help but admire you for the way you spoke to her. You kept everything in check; you didn't lose your cool. Now if I were to review that story... Well, you wouldn't think of me as such a nice person. ^_^() Nobody disses my favorite character and their fans! So I just keep my mouth shut for the sake of others who read the reviews... Hey, you deserve to be praised! Don't sell yourself short.(I'm sounding really hypocritical right now, aren't I? ^_^() *sigh* How do I end up trapping myself like that?) I'm glad I've done something to help you... That's reassuring. I'm just afraid that I'll begin to slack off on the updates. Yep, yours are good to look back on. Thanx, I already am a bit! Trust me, it's not rambling. I'm taking notes of all that you're saying... Definitely creepy. Sends chills down my spine. O.o Yeah, Tien better beware... Well, he loves to talk about himself, too. They never are shaping up good for her... I'm wondering too...  
  
lilmissgoten: Hey, I'm glad you did! ^_^ Uh-huh, now she's not so clueless. But she'd better watch what she says too often. She's getting in over her head. Yes, he does. He must get it from Vegeta. ^_~ Thanx, I will! ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: All right! Nobody's abandoned this fic yet! ^_^ And I'm still keeping those thumbs up! Yep, talk about a bloated ego... Ah, Cell's not defending himself very well against ya, is he? *LOL* You just keep nagging him like that. ^_~  
  
Pen Dragon: Aw, I'm sorry. Try not to fall over it this time... Yeah, I want to keep things as acurate as I can. ^_^() So references to the anime will also be made. Forgot to mention that.  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama, not me. (Hey, now it's twice I've mentioned him! Ooh...) Sekai, her parents, and that mysterious guy from her dreams are, however, mine.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Eleven  
  
  
  
"Ah!" Sekai cried out as Cell's fist made contact with her gut. She countered with a kick to the side of his head only to have it dodged and caught in his hands. Cell held her by the ankle tightly and laughed.  
  
"Not doing so well, are you? Too bad. Why don't you try not to focus so much on attacking and just try to defend?" He suggested. Sekai's face reddened at being treated like a child. She tried to free her leg, but Cell's grip on it was too strong. In a moment, he twisted it so far that it cracked.  
  
"AH!" Incredible pain shot all through her ankle and up her nerves. In a panicked pain, she brought her head towards Cell's and hit his with great force, wanting to get away from him. Stunned momentarily, he released her and she backed away as quickly as she could on her injured ankle and leaned against a surviving tree.  
  
Panting hard, Sekai observed her injury. The bone in her ankle had been completely dislocated and stuck out slightly, creating a little bump on her skin and making her foot shift in an outward direction from her body. Grinding her teeth, she gingerly bent down and touched her ankle.  
  
She could feel Cell's gaze upon her and looked up to glare at him. 'No good bastard... I can't fight like this.' Yet she knew that Cell wouldn't let her just walk-- hobble, more acurately speaking-- away like that. He was smirking at her cockily and her hate for him grew ten-fold.  
  
'God, I hate it when he does that. I'd better do something before he does,' she thought. Once again focusing on her ankle which was quickly swelling up, she wrapped her fingers around it lightly and knew what she had to do.  
  
'I'm not going to like this...' she thought and shut her eyes tightly as she rotated her ankle sharply back into place.  
  
SNAP!  
  
She bit her lip so hard that it started to bleed. Sounds of shuffling sounded in front of her, but she ignored it all. All she thought about was the fiery sensation shooting through her leg and the tears she tried in futility to control. Cell stared at her as she grunted and stood on her now fixed leg, intrigued.  
  
"Well, I'm impressed," he said. "Where did you learn to do that?"  
  
Sekai took in several deep breaths before answering. When she did, she spoke evenly and calmly, hiding her true fear. "It was an important skill I learned when I was young. My father told me to learn it so that it would be useful to me in situations like this," she said.  
  
"Then your father is a very wise man. That technique just saved your skin," he pointed out.  
  
"Was," she corrected.  
  
Cell blinked. "What?"  
  
"Was," she repeated. "He was a very wise man."  
  
Cell rose an eyeridge skeptically under his giant headcrest. "I see. So he is dead. Did I happen to be the one to come across and kill him?"  
  
Sekai smiled, bemused. "Heh, I wish. Then I would have had enough rage to rip you apart."  
  
Cell smirked. "So you mean to tell me that you still aren't as mad at me after all the destruction I've caused as you would have been had I killed your father?"  
  
"No, not yet at least. No matter how many lives you've destroyed, nothing could match up to the rage I would have had you killed my parents. They mean more to me than this world and all the people that live in it," Her eyes had gone emotionless suddenly. "I swear, if you were the person I lost my family to, then I would have crushed your bones, torn off your head, and have fed it to a wild animal."  
  
Cell narrowed his eyes at her, as if trying to see into her soul and find out her secrets. The blank, passive eyes held nothing; no pain, no anger, nothing. Surprisingly, he could feel his heart begin to pound faster.  
  
'What is it about her that causes me to feel this way? It's as if she suddenly lost her soul,' he thought. She continued to stare at him and then suddenly blinked, looking confused. Cell blinked as well and wondered what happened.  
  
A moment later, Sekai felt a sharp pain in her head. She grabbed her head and squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
'What's happening? Why is my head hurting so?' she thought. The thinking only made her headache worse.  
  
Cell watched and decided to attack while she was distracted. He shot and aimed his tail to her back as she fell to her knees, screaming and holding her head.  
  
Before he could reach her, he felt himself get blown back by a strong wind. He tumbled back through the air and stopped himself. Landing on the ground, he brought up his arms in defense from all the leaves and rocks flying up from it all. Sekai's screaming continued and increased in pitch as her body began to glow a faint ultraviolet. Her ki rose higher and higher.  
  
The pain in her head grew enormously. She just wanted it all to stop. What was happening? Why was this happening? And why to her? She shook her head furiously and felt the planet swerve about her in a vertigo. She cried out in her anguish.  
  
"Ah! Make it stop! Please, just make it stop!" she yelled. Cell backed away a few steps and watched as the light grew brighter and stronger. Soon, he had to shield his eyes from its very intensity.  
  
The events only lasted a few minutes. Dawn broke over the trees and land, and everything seemed to stop right then. The wind stopped blowing, the light faded away, and Sekai's screaming stopped as she fell unconscious.  
  
Silence reigned the land in those last moments. Cell could only stare at the fallen girl and try to make sense of all that had happened. He stood perfectly still, breathing lightly.  
  
'What happened to her? The light emitting from her body was so intense and bright. It was definitely something strange,' he thought and narrowed his eyes. 'There is more to her power than I thought. More than even she thinks. I must kill her before she becomes a threat to me.' He started walking towards her in determination.  
  
As he reached, he looked at her closely. Her face was scrunched up in an expression of pain and sweat beaded on her forehead. Her ki had gone down dramatically after the surge of power she had shown, leaving her helpless and unable to defend herself. Cell reached down and picked her up by the back of her collar to get a closer look at her face.  
  
Her eyelids fluttered unconsciously, like she was having a bad dream or something, and her jaw was set tightly as she slept. Cell could feel her body convulse and her fists open and close at random. He held her body out in front of him and took aim at the center of her chest with his tail.  
  
'The game was fun while it lasted, little Sekai. But sadly, all good things must come to an end some time. I cannot risk having you become a threat to me. Goodbye...' He shot his tail at her...  
  
... and made contact.  
  
  
  
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Well, there's the end of this shorter chapter. I'm getting scared of this fic now. O.o Why must I scare myself and leave you all at a cliffhanger too? That's two evil things I did at once! Even though the first one doesn't really affect you all... But I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can for all your sakes and for mine as well. ^_^() Bye for now! 


	12. Calls to the Dark Side

Another longer chapter than the last... This fic is getting longer than I expected. But it's the reviews that keep me going. Let's see... How many now? Eight?! That's the most I've ever gotten for one chapter! ^_^ Yippee!  
  
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Pen Dragon: O.O I've put a good author to her death... *prays for Pen Dragon's survival* Please let this chapter save her... Use steel chains next time!  
  
Masquerade: Yay! A long review! ^_^ I did... And it bothers me a lot. Definitely, thanx. I'll answer these in their proper order: 1) Yeah, I know. I really slack on fight scenes and I don't like to do them too much. But it's necessary in the fic... I think my Princess Mononoke craze is causing me to stray my focus from this fic... O.o Can't let that happen... 2) To be perfectly honest... I never even considered it. But it does make more sense then, doesn't it? I think that scene from the movie kinda lodged itself in my brain and just came out at that time. I do that a lot. 3) Uh... I don't know. She fell unconscious and then went into a sleep-like state. She was probably dreaming and about what, you ask? You'll find out in this chapter. Psychology is strange with me... Thanx. He can be quite curious when he wants to be. ^_^ And I try to keep him in character. Hey, it's okay! I like long reviews and am honored to receive one by you. Thanx, I'll try.  
  
ElysianAmazon: Wow, another reviewer! Hey, thanx! I'll try my best to do so. I update somewhat often.  
  
SSJ4 Goku: All right! More long reviews! Yep, they are. Yes, I wish I had the talent to do such a thing. You're absolutely right. Unfortunately, not all people take that to mind. But I'm glad that there are many people out there like you who have an open mind. The people who review this story prove that point. That's understandable. You DO have your limits. I bet that warning is what's keeping all the flamers away. ^_^ I'd say it's both. Some people who are considerate usually don't try to brag about things so... Ah, I guess hypocracy can talk to itself then because I am also proving to be it. ^_^() Wow, I did? Neat. They are, but does this fic truly fit the "good things" category? Yeah, that's been happening to me a bit lately and I don't know why... It's like you just don't feel yourself dedicated to writing for that one day. Hey, you have good excuses! It's not really laziness; to me, it's more like temporary discouragement. You just don't feel up to writing or dedicating yourself to it for a while. It happens. Yeah, that helps in writing. Mine? O.o That's kinda hard to take in... Down, ego! Down! Okay...I think that would be impossible for you. You speak very intelligently every time. ^_^ Not really for me, but for her it is. Yep, she's a born fighter; just not too good a one. Well, you know Cell... He's like that. I like her, too. That's okay... Those other OCs are good too. Yeah, he's not at his smartest yet... Umm... maybe both? Hey, don't insult yourself! Look how much I've just written! It could pass for a short story! And I love reading and responding to your reviews so don't even think about shutting up! ^_~  
  
lilmissgoten: It was cool? Gosh, I'm so touched... I think it might have been as well. I guess watching the movie AKIRA and reading your fanfiction is making me copy a bit. Sorry about it even if you don't mind. ^_^ Thanx. He IS mean, isn't he? Yep, he just loves to take advantage of things when he can... We'll just have to find out on that one... I will! ^_^  
  
YUE'S LOVER: Another new person! Gosh, am I getting famous or something? O.o Too many new people at once make me nervous... Eh, just ignore me on that one. ^_^() You know? I hate them, too, and look what I did! I am so evil...  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Ah! I know I am! I have become evil! I'm putting Cell's evilness to shame... You know, that's pretty cool. ^_^ And I'm still keeping those thumbs up and getting more after the evil I have done? You're too awesome and kind!  
  
Angela Giovanni: All these new people... *sigh* It just makes me so happy. *sniff* Eep! I will! Don't worry about it! *cowers*  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ is not mine. Must I keep stating that? Oh, Sekai is mine. I'm proud of her so I'll gladly keep stating that. Her parents and the new guy is mine as well.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twelve  
  
  
  
The man revealed his face to her.  
  
She gasped. "Nuko, what are you doing?"  
  
"Dear Sekai," he began. "The earth is dying and so are you."  
  
Sekai blinked, confused. She approached him cautiously and spoke. "What do you mean 'the earth is dying'? What do you mean I am dying?"  
  
"You have a dangerous power inside you. It continues to grow and feed upon your soul. It cannot be released for the sake of the planet," he said. His voice was monotonous and frightened her. From his cloak, he brought out her dagger.  
  
Sekai froze. "What are you doing, Nuko?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out and regretted asking.  
  
Nuko's icy, blue eyes bore into her. "That power within you must not be exposed to the earth. You are a threat to the earth's survival. In order for the threat to be eliminated, you must die." He walked towards her, holding the dagger by the hilt and aiming it to her chest.  
  
Sekai panicked. "Nuko! Please, stop this! What has happened to you to think and act this way?" She backed away from him as he pressed on. "The Nuko I knew would never do anything like this. Who are you?!"  
  
"It is nothing to bother with," He continued onwards. In a flash of light, he was suddenly in front of her. Startled, she fell back and could only stare at the man whom she thought she knew.  
  
In a bright light, the dagger in his hands glowed and extended into a long sword. She had no time to react as in a few passing seconds, the morphed sword clashed into her body and Nuko changed shape...  
  
"Brother!"  
  
***  
  
Sekai shot her eyes open only to the feel of an extreme burning sensation in her chest. For a moment, she was glad it was all a dream. Yet something didn't feel right. She grunted out in anguish as the pain continued and she looked down to see a sharp stinger in her body that stuck partially inside but didn't go through.  
  
GULP!  
  
No words could explain what happened next.  
  
All she could do was open her mouth in a silent scream as her life force felt as if it were being sucked away. She couldn't even utter a sound. Her eyes turned to the creature in front of her.  
  
'No... Cell...' were the only words she could form in her mind as the burning sensation continued to grow. He was absorbing her. And he was enjoying it.  
  
'No... I can't die like this... I don't want to die like this,' she thought as she began to weep in her misery and pain. For a moment, Cell's absorbing stopped as he watched the tears sparkle down her face by the rays of the rising sun.  
  
'How intriguing... She feels the burning and anguish of her life fading away, yet she cries out not a single word,' he thought.  
  
Sekai felt she had to do something. Yet she couldn't find the least bit of strength to act. Already, her vision was beginning to blur. Whether they were from her tears or her fatigue, she didn't know.  
  
'God, no... Please don't let me die like this... I want to live!' she screamed in her mind. Forcing herself to regaining some energy, she squeezed her eyes shut and fought to survive. Cell watched as she tapped into more of her ki.  
  
"Very good, girl," he said to her. "Release more energy for me to feed on."  
  
Her eyes opened and she managed to gasp. It didn't matter how much energy she called forth; Cell would simply absorb it all! Her heart sank at the new information and she, once again, felt hopeless. The remembrance of all the clothes scattered about in Ginger Town came into her mind.  
  
'And in a few minutes, I'll become just like those people...' She was scared again. Now all she wanted was for Cell to end her life quickly. She closed her eyes in defeat.  
  
GULP!  
  
She could feel her skin sagging and her bones become brittle. Everything else seemed to go numb as her brain's functioning slowed down. A whisper came into her head...  
  
*Don't.*  
  
'What?'  
  
*Don't die. Live.*  
  
'Who is this? Who's speaking to me?'  
  
*It's not important. Just live.*  
  
'I can't. I'm so weak... I can't fight him anymore.'  
  
*Yes, you can. You have the power. You just need to use it.*  
  
'But I don't know how.'  
  
*Just let go of everything. You need to try. Chaos is spreading everywhere with his existence. You can help stop it.*  
  
'I have no power...'  
  
*But you do. See this. These are the possibilities of all that will happen if you give up now.*  
  
A flash of images passed through her mind. Destruction of cities and towns. People dying... Her parents being absorbed...  
  
Her eyes opened and she felt her sanity crack. 'Cell... he killed Mom and Dad? How? They were already gone... It doesn't matter. He must die for his very existence!'  
  
A burst of energy shot from her body and Cell reeled back in surprise. His tail dislodged itself from her chest and he stared.  
  
That bright, purple light had returned to Sekai again. Although, this time, it didn't fade away. It flamed around her strongly and she looked straight ahead, almost past him. Her body structure looked very different from the absorption though. Her frame looked smaller and her bones showed more clearly. Also, heavy amounts of blood poured out of her wound, staining her clothes. Yet all of that she seemed to ignore. She was blinded by hate and rage. Her prime target was Cell and destroying him for all the pain he had caused the victims, her, and her mother and father.  
  
Slowly, she walked towards him and could feel the pain of doing so. Her body, physically, could not handle it and would collapse any moment. Yet, somehow, she continued on and her mind led the way. Her mind that had become possessed by the voice in her head and pushed her to fight.  
  
Cell blinked and smiled in light amusement. "So you still have some fight in you, eh?"  
  
She didn't respond.  
  
He frowned. "Hmm, I see. You want to get on with the action, don't you? Well, that's fine with me," he declared as he prepared to attack. Sekai continued on, judgment and rationality completely gone from her memory.  
  
"Come on, girl! Show me what you're made of!" He flew at her and uppercutted her in the chin. Her head snapped back and she was knocked into the air and to the ground, remaining motionless.  
  
Cell smiled in triumph. "A very strong girl, she was. It was too bad I didn't get to learn more about her." He calmly walked to her weakened form and stopped above her. Her eyes flew open and she jumped up and kicked him in the face before he could attack.  
  
"Agh! What?!" He quickly recovered and looked at her with wide eyes. "How can she still have the strength to move?!" She was crouched on the forest floor and had an almost rabid anger in her eyes. Another thing he took notice of made his eyes widen even further. Her naturally violet eyes shone intensly and her pupils had shrunk to the size of dots. The glow around her continued to shine along with her eyes.  
  
Inside, Sekai had no idea what she was doing. She was simply following the commands of the voice whispering in her mind. The voice that told her to kill Cell and any other being that might interfere with his destruction.  
  
*Go now... Get him. Make him pay for all the suffering that he has caused.*  
  
'I will... If, in any case, I don't die first.'  
  
*You mustn't die. You have the strength to survive. You just need the will to do so.*  
  
Sekai panted and her vision blurred from loss of blood. Her jaw had already broken from Cell's last attack and she bled from the mouth from biting her tongue so hard. The thought of her parents dying by his hands invaded her brain and her fury grew along with her aura.  
  
'How could he have killed them? They died a long time ago.'  
  
*He has been here for a long time and has only recently made himself known. Believe me.*  
  
'But how? I surely would have known by then...'  
  
*Just listen! None of that is important now. He plans to kill you and you must defend yourself. Now fight him!*  
  
'You'd better not be lying to me...' She shakily got up and faced Cell.  
  
*I'm not...*  
  
Cell watched her with newfound interest. 'She has changed,' he thought. 'She is not the Sekai that I have fought before.' As the sun rose, her expression of hate became clearer and clearer. This time, her mind was too clouded to fight properly, he knew. She cried out and went to punch him but was too slow and missed completely as he dodged.  
  
She fell to the ground and shook her head to clear it. Looking back at Cell, she growled and uttered a none too polite curse word at him. Cell simply rose an eyeridge, totally unaffected.  
  
He rose his head to the sky and made note of something for her, sensing the others flying to their location. "Your reinforcements have arrived for you, late as usual."  
  
She wasn't listening to him. The voice in her head screeched at her, telling her to continue fighting.  
  
*What are you waiting for?! Get him while he's unguarded!*  
  
'You're not helping me! You just want me to get myself killed!' Her senses finally began to return to her.  
  
*Quiet! Now just attack him!*  
  
'Leave me alone! Go away!'  
  
*Never will I leave you alone, child...*  
  
  
  
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Ah... Poor Sekai. My first original character and I'm torturing her. ~.~ I am very evil... And who is this guy in her head?! Not a welcome person, that's for sure... This is looking to be more and more like AKIRA suddenly... O.o Masq got that idea into my head... 


	13. Lies Mixed With the Truth

Sorry to get this chapter out a day late. I just didn't feel like writing for a while and I didn't want to post a nightmarishly bad chapter so I waited until some inspiration hit me and I could write again. I think I'm becoming too obsessed with Princess Mononoke... Must focus on fic. Focus! *tries to focus fruitlessly as an image of Ashitaka and San hugging each other appears in her head and she sighs dreamily* How cute and romantic... O.o() MUST FOCUS!!  
  
Warning: This chapter has some cursing in it. (It's a lot for me so... yeah.) So... be prepared, that's all. Just felt like I ought to warn you all. It's nothing too bad. There's just a bit more than any of the other chapters.  
  
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Masquerade: Yep, a freaky, psycho version of it. ^_^() Guardian spirit? Hmm... A spirit, all right, but a guardian? Maybe not. I'd say it's something else that's out to get her. Really? It is? Aw, I'm so happy to hear that! ^__^ I'll try my best to do so.  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Yes, I had. I'll try not to go overboard this time. ^_^() Aw, you just have to flatter me so much, huh? ^_^ That's true; you never know what to expect sometimes. That label is very suitable for some 'certain' people out there. Not any people here in these reviews, of course! It could be scary if they take it to heart. But the things that your fics have are what make it so unique and credible. I mean, it's not like there's such a tight restriction to fanfiction; it's all in a person's perspective. Ah, more compliments... But some people just can't see beyond the logic and boundaries of reality. Well, I'm glad I don't seem that way to you. ^_^ And temporary breaks help you get your mind back on what you want to do. You're homeschooled? Oh, that must be different. Hey, it's not horrible. I know that, sometimes, you just don't feel like writing... I'm glad to help, no matter how little. ^_^ Rambling is good... for me. And mistakes happen. I got the idea to that little typo. It's not stupid... Yep, and something mysterious that I'm trying to figure out about her, too... It does, but not so much as to prove accurate so it's a good opinion still! I don't know... He just wants to cause trouble, that's all I'll say. You should; it could really lower your self-esteem. I know that... 'BLAH?!' Nuh-uh! It's an awesome, wonderful, incredible, cool, great... etc. story! The positive adjectives could go on forever if I knew more. ^_^() I do and I will! I'll wait for it!  
  
Angela Giovanni: Yep, and it will get worse. ^_^() She IS very bad! But I guess you can't blame her. That's true; I'd be doing that, too. ^_^ Like I've said, I'll try.  
  
lilmissgoten: Oh, you should see it. It's a very cool movie. I guess you're implying that my fic is really good then? But AKIRA is better. ^_^ Let's just say that he's a guy who's got a certain ambition... Hey, those are good guesses! Just keep trying. You'll have to find that out... I'd say she needs a medic quick. Hey, you may be right on that one. She is a little stubborn, especially now. Maybe, maybe not... No, you're not. I love long reviews and hearing from all of you. ^_^ Me neither, but I'll figure something out soon! It'll just have to play out until then... Probably not; I guess she ought to before she drives herself nuts. Woohoo! All right for you! ^_^ But really, I don't mind. Later! I hope so too!  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thanx. Yeah, I'm getting more and more evil by the day... ~.~ It is, isn't it? Aw... I never knew Cell could be so sensitive. ^_^ Give him a kiss for me!  
  
Pen Dragon: Yay! You're alive! ^__^ Thanx. Hope you get a good one. Good luck.  
  
ElysianAmazon: It is... And it's gonna get weirder, I bet. That's okay, but it's still good to consider watching. ^_^ Thanx, I'm trying again. Wait no longer for the next chapter is here! ^_^ And I love that two finger wave! It is just so awesome and cool! ^_^ *waves to everyone with two fingers* Hee!  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine, okay? If it were, then I wouldn't be spending time writing fanfiction, now would I? Unless I were extremely bored... And since I was before, I took the time to create Sekai and all these other new people that you've probably never heard of. So they are mine... Yeah. ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Thirteen  
  
  
  
She knew that she was dreaming.  
  
It had to be a dream. Reality would never be like this.  
  
Everything around her seemed to melt into one big blurred image. The sky was bleeding and the ground was trying to swallow her up. In front of her, a black, oozing creature called out to the quickly reddening sky.  
  
Sekai grabbed her head in pain and confusion. 'What's happening? Everything's all wrong. Earth doesn't look like this,' she thought.  
  
*Don't you see? The planet is dying and its end is very near.*  
  
'Agh! You again?! Didn't I tell you to go the hell away?!'  
  
*Not exactly those words, but that was the basic idea you meant.*  
  
'Don't be such a smartass. How can you tell that the earth is dying?'  
  
*Everything you see through your eyes is the earth's future. A sickening, dead place. Just open your eyes and look.*  
  
Sekai opened her eyes and, once again, saw the bloody, disastrous landscape in front of her. More dark, gooey beings lined her vision. There were five new ones aside from the one that had been there the whole time. She could hear mumbling and growling passing between them and decided that they were conversing. The sounds began to slow down and become jumbled in her head, and she couldn't process anything.  
  
*Those six are your enemies, as well as some others that are not present. Their goal is to destroy all life on Earth.*  
  
'You're doing this, aren't you? You're making me see what's not there!' She shook her head to clear it. She heard one of the black monsters calling to her. She looked up and her mind fased in and out of reality. One moment, she saw a horrible, ugly mound of black pus. The next moment, she saw a handsome, lavender-haired man with a concerned expression on his face. Her eyes widened and all she could do was scream in her helplessness.  
  
Everything ceased their actions and turned to her.  
  
"Trunks, what's going on with her?" Piccolo yelled to him.  
  
"I... I don't know," he responded. "I was just telling her to run away and now she's begun screaming."  
  
Cell laughed and received several glares from the Z-senshi. "I guess she just couldn't take all the pain I inflicted on her."  
  
"Cell... Why, you..." Krillin growled. He so badly wanted to put Cell in his place but stayed his hand, knowing that he wouldn't be able to cause much damage to the freakish monster.  
  
Another scream from Sekai brought everyone's attention back to her. This time, it was from the burning pain of the wound in her chest. With each cry of torture, her lungs became weaker and blood poured more profusely, making it hard for her to breathe.  
  
"Cell, what have you done to her?!" Piccolo demanded to know. Sekai had begun thrashing her head from side to side now, looking as if she'd gone insane. On top of that, she continued to yell and scream for something to stop and shut up.  
  
Cell's left eye twitched slightly from the annoying pitch of her cries. Yet he tried to restrain himself from bashing her face in. He knew he couldn't fight all five of the warriors at once. He growled quietly. "Aside from the physical beating, I did nothing to her," he explained.  
  
Tien growled loudly, trying very hard to stay calm. "Damn you, Cell..."  
  
"Hey, guys! She's getting up!" Yamucha yelled.  
  
Once again, the attention was turned to Sekai. Awfully weakened, she shakily stood on her two feet while still holding her head and keeping her eyes shut. She kept her head kept bowed and took sharp breaths as she fought her mental battle with the intruder inside her.  
  
'What do you want from me? Why are you doing this to me?'  
  
*I'm trying to save you.*  
  
'What the hell are you talking about?! You call possessing my mind and filling it with this "world dying" crap saving me?! That's not saving me; that's killing me!'  
  
*It hurts in the short-term. But in the long-term, it will save you and the entire world from the destruction of Man. You should be thanking me for this.*  
  
'Like hell I'll thank you! You're driving me insane! What are these gruesome images that you make me see?'  
  
*It is one possibility of the future of the earth. You can change that and rescue it from the clutches of the people who plan to destroy it. The people in front of you who are your enemies.*  
  
'... They are my enemies? All of them? And how can I trust you?' As the images back and forth through what was real and what was not, her pupils shrank and enlarged.  
  
*They are all endangering the earth. Therefore, they are your opponents. Whether or not you believe me has nothing to do with this. It is your destiny to fight and kill them.*  
  
'No! I make my own destiny. It's in my hands and it can be whatever I decide,' she objected.  
  
*You may think whatever you want. I know you won't listen to me. But listen to me now and listen clearly: If you truly want to avenge the death of your parents, then snuff out the life of the evil that they would have fought to destroy.*  
  
'Stop it! You're just trying to trick me! I know my parents died ten years ago in a battle to protect their land from those who tried to tear it up. Go away!'  
  
*No. This is something you must see. And that battle is a lie. It never was over land; it was about the power your parents had that everyone feared and led to their murder. And you hold that same power within you.*  
  
'No! My family was a kind-hearted and pure one. They would never hold evil power. And I don't have it inside of me, you understand?!'  
  
*I know it is hard to accept and believe, but things just don't go your way sometimes. Look. One of the beasts approaches you.*  
  
Sekai nearly fell back on her rear from seeing Piccolo get so close to her all of a sudden. Yet she couldn't tell if it was really him or not as the voice in her head continued to alter everything she saw. It was all so overwhelming.  
  
Piccolo chose his words carefully to speak to her. He knew that something was not right about her and kept his distance.  
  
"Listen to me," he began. It was then that he realized that he didn't know her name. 'She never told it to me!' he thought. 'Oh, well, I'll just have to deal without it.' He continued. "I don't know what is happening to you, but just listen. You have got to calm down and relax. You're very badly injured and excitement will only make your wounds worse. Please let us help you."  
  
The words were slow and sluggish, but she understood the concept. He didn't want to hurt her.  
  
'He wants to help me...' she thought.  
  
*Don't be a fool! He'll say whatever he has to to gain your trust. Attack him now!*  
  
She growled and shook her head again. 'Just leave... me... alone! All of you!' Her ki rose again and the wound in her chest grew, driving her mad. Great gusts of wind blew about and the others became cautious except for Cell.  
  
'She's doing it again...' he thought. 'This one should be enough to kill her from exhaustion.'  
  
"What's happening, guys?!" Krillin called, shielding himself from the flying dust and pebbles.  
  
"Everyone, get back! She's losing it!" Tien warned. They put some distance between themselves and Sekai, flying up into the sky as her aura flamed about her. Cell watched, not so interested, and decided to put an end to it all. He cupped his hands to his side and spread his stance a bit, preparing an attack.  
  
"Kame... Hame..." he chanted.  
  
"Uh-oh! He's gonna attack her, guys!" Yamucha cried nervously.  
  
"We have to stop him!" Trunks went to intervene, but it was already too late.  
  
"HA!" Cell finished and fired...  
  
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Ah... There it goes again. I know, weird and hard to grasp. Sorry, I'm just... weirded out, I guess... Don't know why... Just am... Okay, I'm rambling, but like I said, rambling is good for me. Just ignore me... Next chapter will be out in a few days! Bye for now! ^_^ 


	14. Revival

Hello again, everyone! The next chapter is out once again and I'm still getting nowhere, aren't I? ^_^() Sorry, but I just have to include each part for anything to make sense, if it didn't already which it didn't. And I'm not in such a good mood 'cause I got in trouble with my uncle for stating my thoughts and then he tattled on me to my dad and got me in even worse trouble. I swear, I'd like to rip his head off and feed it to an animal... . He just makes me so mad along with his entire dysfunctional family... Sorry about my ranting! Just had to get it off my chest. But I do feel a little better now. ^_^ Thanx for listening! Anyways, enough with this and let's get to the review responses and story! I got much more now, and it just lifts my darkened mood. Thank you, all! ^_^  
  
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Pen Dragon: Oops... Maybe my advice wasn't all that good after all... Lava spurt?! O.o Watch out and just hang on! The paramedics have arrived in the form of this chapter! ^_^ Did that make sense?  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Really? Just how accurate is that 8-ball? Well, whatever tickles your fancy... ^_^ I'm glad you do! I'm happy you think so... You're such an inspiration to me and your support helps. Good idea, and that's very true. Yeah, they just don't like anything that's out of the ordinary in a show... There isn't one. Neither do I... Well, some. ^_^ I am? Well, I get it from the best. ^_~ Ah, take one for as long as you need; there's no hurry. Three in the morning? I could do that, too, now since I have break, but my parents would tell me to get back to bed. ^_^() Hey, weirdness isn't a bad thing. It's just... unique and... weird. ^_^() I need a thesaurus really badly... Ah, you do? Cool! Good for you! ^_^ Hey, it's okay just as long as their not done purposely or excessively. Little typos are okay for me as long as I can still understand it and if they're aren't so many. Like my typo, "Thanx." I just love typing like that! ^_^ ... She does, but she's holding up! ... So far. ^_^() Yep, he's back again. He'll be coming back a lot, I'll tell you that. Don't want to give anything away so I'll just keep my mouth shut on that. We'll keep an eye on each other! How's that? Yes, it is. Definitely... That's okay. Yay! ... He does, but he's not so smart now, like you said. Well, for some reason, it's been happening to me, too... Aw, thanx! You're giving me that bubbly, happy feeling again. ^_^ That happens to me, too. Guess we both need some thesauruses, huh? Yep. Well, I'm happy to have your attention! It means a lot to me.  
  
ElysianAmazon: Yes, evil of me, isn't it? That is so true. Thanx! ^_^ Phew, well, at least something is becoming clear to you. I'm trying to make everything that's going on be known so nothing gets missed. He is... and annoying, too. No more waiting now! 'Cause next chapter's here! ^_^ The two finger wave rules! *waves to everyone with two fingers again and pokes herself in the eye* Ack!  
  
Masquerade: Yes, an evil cliffhanger it is! I am bad! . He definitely is. (I won't put a comment to that for fear of giving something away that goes with the story...) Yeah, she's going insane, I tell you! Just like me! O.o He shouldn't have done that... Eep! Well, I've gotta do what I can to keep your attention, don't I? Genius?! *looks around and behind her* Who, me? Nuh-uh! Ooh... Mystery... I'm glad I'm keeping you on your toes! Yay! You like it! I'm so happy! ^__^ I will!  
  
Angela Giovanni: Ah! I'm sorry! I really am! Please forgive me! ... Uh... I guess it's okay... I hope I can write... *passes out*  
  
lilmissgoten: Yeah, she really does deserve a lot of sympathy... I'm so mean to her! ~.~ She has... And you'll just have to find out about that. Yeah, probably, but hopefully not. Can't have the story ending like that so abruptly! It's okay. It is kinda confusing, for me too. You are not! So don't insult yourself like that again, okay?! Me, neither... But it's here now so... Yay? O.o Sorry, I'll try to make it longer next time... I just never know what to add without repeating something... And I don't know when to stop either! O.o Hey, that's all right. Take your time; you're not expected to watch it within a certain amount of time. ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: 'Oh, no!' is right! For Sekai... Just because he's, like you said, stupid. At least when he did that, he was. You'll have to find out if he does or not...Yes! I admit, it is evil! Of me! ~.~ Don't hurt me, please... Ahh, THANK YOU!!! ^___^ I wouldn't mind if he 'got me' for this. I'd like it if he came after me! ^_^  
  
Lady Rose: More newcomers? Wow, this fic must be going around. O.o Aw, thanx... *sniff* Oh, now you're making me all emotional! *sniff* Don't worry, I will! Uh... Try not to lose it like I have... I will for all of you! ^_^  
  
mae: I'll respond to all your reviews at once. ^_^() Oh, that's all right. I forget to do that to sometimes to certain stories. Thank you! ^_^ Yep, it has. O.o Um... Okay, then. Good for you. You're one of the lucky ones. ^_^ Guess I can't. Well, that does make sense. Something original can be weird, too, right? You can go and do that. ^_^  
  
YUE'S LOVER: Ack! I'm sorry, like I said to everyone else! It's my twisted brain's fault. Blame it! But the next chapter's here now! ^_^  
  
O2: Someone new again... To be honest, I don't know. I know I am. ~.~ I guess I did... But that's 'cause these people are nice and awesome! ^_^ Aw, I'm sure you get good reviews in your stories. Sure I will! ^_^ Yeah, I'll see about that.  
  
Lady Rose (again): Hooray for you! ^_^ Cool! Really? I feel so honored...*sniff* I'm glad that it's keeping you entertained. ^_^ Ah, another one bites the dust... You must save yourself! Ramblings? No way. I love 'em! It's here now! ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ= not me. Sekai+parents+brother+freaky guy in her head=completely mine. Easy to understand, right? ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Fourteen  
  
  
  
No one could stop the blast from hitting its target in time.  
  
Everything seemed to go in slow motion for Sekai. She stood, blinded by so many emotions, anticipating the attack to finish her off. It was what she wanted. She wanted to die. Anything to be free of this pain in her heart.  
  
"Get out of the way, girl!" Piccolo made a last attempt to make her realize the danger she was in. If she had heard his warning, then she showed no signs of listening. All she did was stare out ahead of her at the oncoming blast.  
  
*What are you doing? Attack!*  
  
She didn't bother responding to the voice.  
  
Her body felt strange. She felt both hot and cold at the same time, and she couldn't feel the ground beneath her. It was as if she was floating. Under her feet, she could feel little tendrils of fire making their way up her legs. Yet they didn't burn. It was almost a comforting and likable sensation that excited her. The tendrils shot out from beneath her and grabbed ahold of the Kamehameha Wave, taking everyone by surprise.  
  
Cell was the most shocked. "What?!" he cried, staying in his attack position.  
  
"How could she have caught it?" Tien wondered in awe.  
  
Piccolo growled. 'Something is definitely wrong here. She would never have enough strength to catch that blast on her own,' he thought.  
  
Cell had gotten over his shock quickly and pushed more force into the wave. "Bah, it doesn't matter anyways. I'll finish you off either way!" he yelled.  
  
The serpent-like sparks continued to flame all around Sekai. She floated about two or three inches off the ground, remaining perfectly still with a blank expression on her face. It was like there were vines flailing over her, trying to choke and suffocate her. Though, she didn't appear to have any discomfort.  
  
As more energy went into the attack, the tendrils took it as a signal to begin the next part of their task. Expanding to twice their regular width of a pencil, they circled around and over Sekai in search of the core of the wave. There, they implanted one end of themselves into the blast and the other end into various parts of Sekai's body, like computer wires connecting to the main system. Once firm in the core, they did their job of fueling themselves and their mistress. The blast slowly became smaller and weaker as the sparks swallowed its energy, rejuvinating Sekai.  
  
"What in the world is going on?" Cell wondered. He squinted his eyes through the intense brightness of her aura to see what was going on. The moment he processed everything and put the pieces of the puzzle together, his eyes widened and he cut off his energy from the blast, causing it to hit Sekai with full force.  
  
'That little sneak! She's absorbing the energy of the Kamehameha Wave. But how? Humans can't absorb the energy of others. Not without the help of technology,' he tried to figure out.  
  
"Man, what's going on?" Krillin murmured from his position in the sky.  
  
'That's just what I'd like to know,' Piccolo thought, growling. The others could only watch in their wonder and fear as the absorption continued.  
  
The last light of the Kamehameha Wave finally faded away into the sparks and into Sekai. With their task complete, the whipping sparks condensed back to their former size and wrapped around their mistress, once again, waiting for another chance at stealing some ki. Sekai, motionless and silent this whole time, finally blinked and opened her mouth to exhale sharply the breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding.  
  
Regaining some of her air and balance, she unconsciously floated back down to the forest floor. Something coursed through her blood, filling her with a different sort of excitement. The wound in her chest was getting less painful, surprisingly. She looked down at herself and gasped. The hole in her chest was closing up!  
  
'How can that be?' she thought.  
  
*One of your powers is the ability to heal yourself.*  
  
'You again... Didn't I tell you to get out of my head?'  
  
*I'm not leaving. Not until I get what I want.*  
  
'What is it that you want then, pray tell?'  
  
*I want you to kill these monsters in front of you.*  
  
'Why don't you do it yourself, huh? I'm not going to do your dirty work for you.'  
  
*I can't. I have no physical body. I can only fight through another person with his or her mind. You just happened to be the one I chose to fight through.*  
  
'Well, I feel so special,' she thought, sarcastically.  
  
*You should. You have enough power to destroy them all and more.*  
  
'But I don't want to kill anyone else. Just Cell.'  
  
*These others are just as big a threat to you and your dominance over Man as Cell is.*  
  
'My dominance? Over Man? What are you talking about?'  
  
*Listen, the human race is a flawed, ignorant one. They do not appreciate what Earth has to give to them. They always want something more and more and when they finally get it, they leave it behind and go on to want something else. Much chaos is caused by them, with them tearing up the planet for their own selfish desires. They need someone to put them in their place and you can be the one to finally lead them to peace with the earth.*  
  
'Just what are you saying?!' She didn't like the way this voice was talking.  
  
*What I'm saying is destroy these obstacles in your path to victory. Once you do that, you can go to protecting the destruction of Earth by Man. He must be punished for the pain he has caused the planet.*  
  
'You're telling me to destroy Man! I will do no such thing!'  
  
*I am not telling you to do that... Though, it just might lead to that. Man is a nuisance to this world and is killing it. Shouldn't he pay for the evil that he has done?*  
  
'Maybe, but that doesn't mean that the race should be clearly wiped out! That's no way to resolve a problem.'  
  
*I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter. Either way, Man will pay the price for what he's done and you will aid in doing so!*  
  
"Ah!" she cried as a sharp pain in her head returned to her. Even with her body being fully revived, she couldn't stand the enormous pain that coursed through her every nerve.  
  
Trunks gasped. "Everyone, I think she's doing it again!" he warned. They all kept their guard this time, prepared for anything she might throw.  
  
Sekai fell to her knees again and growled while gritting her teeth, holding her head trying to control the ache in it. 'Stop this!'  
  
*Do not take me for a fool. I'm not stupid. I have my own powers as well, you know.*  
  
Her headache dulled to a light throbbing and she pulled her hands down from the sides of her head, panting slightly.  
  
*Now see your objective and finish it off. Understand?*  
  
'Yeah, I understand. But what makes you think I'll still do it?'  
  
*You will. If you value your life.*  
  
'Well, that depends... My life or the lives of billions of people? What do you think I'll pick?'  
  
*Don't be a smartaleck. It won't help anything.*  
  
'Look who's talking, Mr. Hypocrite. That sounds kinda familiar from earlier.' She smirked when he didn't respond immediately.  
  
*In any case, if you don't cooperate, then I will kill you and resort to a different body and mind to control.*  
  
'One question, though... Let's say I happen to do as you say, God forbid. What if I happen to die? You know, get killed? What would happen to you? Would you die as well?'  
  
*... Don't be foolish, Sekai. Of course not. I can jump through to a different body long before you get killed in time.*  
  
'I guess that changes my theory of you being the captain going down with the ship.'  
  
*Yes, it does. But enough with this senseless jabbering. If you had been paying attention, then you would have taken notice of the beasts trying to get you to see them.*  
  
'Huh?' She looked up to see the men running up to her. Cell took that opportunity to fly off before the others took the chance to gang up on him.  
  
'Coward, indeed...' she thought.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Krillin asked, a little nervous.  
  
'Boy, she's cute!' he thought.  
  
"Yeah, that was some light show you gave us," Yamucha laughed, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
Tien, Piccolo, and Trunks stayed silent.  
  
"I'm fine," Sekai answered. Her senses had fully returned to her, along with her strength. With ease, she fully stood up. Yet the events themselves that had just happened were getting hard for her to remember. "What exactly happened?" she asked. All she could remember now was her conversation with that voice...  
  
"'What happened?!'" Yamucha cried incredulously. "You mean you don't remember?!"  
  
"Well, sorry. It must have been a pretty big thing if it was enough to make me forget it, wasn't it?" she narrowed her eyes at him, emphasizing the last two words. Yamucha gulped and put his hands up in defense, backing away.  
  
"Uh... Yeah, it was," he said. "Um... The others will fill you in on it!" He jumped behind Tien, who looked at him a little skeptically.  
  
"You exploded in a rage." Sekai whipped around to the voice. It was that purple-haired boy again.  
  
'He's cute...' she thought, then shook her head. 'Come on, Sekai, get your mind back on track! This is not the time to fawn over dreamy guys. And that voice might be listening in on you!'  
  
"Hi," Trunks smiled. "My name's Trunks." He held out his hand for her to shake and she took it politely. Everyone properly introduced themselves, except for Tien and Piccolo whom she already knew.  
  
"My name is Sekai," she said.  
  
"Well, Sekai, like Trunks said, you exploded in a sort of angered rage," Piccolo explained. "We're not exactly sure what happened to you, either, for we've never seen anything like it. But whatever it was, it brought out an amazing power from within you. With that power, you were able to absorb that Kamehameha Wave that Cell threw at you and were able to heal yourself."  
  
"Whoa..." she murmured. The pieces finally began to fall into place. "I think I remember some of it now... But I don't know how or why that happened."  
  
"That's okay, I guess," Tien finally spoke up. "Maybe we can find something out about it later."  
  
"Yeah. In the meantime, do you want to come with us to the Kame House? You know, just to plan our next move against Cell? You've got lots of strength," Krillin asked, a little too eagerly.  
  
Sekai couldn't help but smile. These people were so nice! And Tien looked as if he had put their first encounter behind him. They couldn't possibly be her enemies.  
  
"Su--" She was cut off as her headache came back again. With it hitting her so suddenly, she lost her equilibrium and fell backwards. Trunks caught her in his surprise.  
  
*What do you think you're doing?! You're going with them?!* The voice shouted furiously.  
  
She couldn't find the sense to respond mentally; the pain was so great.  
  
The voice eased up just for her to give an answer. *Well?*  
  
Trying to come up with an excuse, she said the closest thing to one. 'I don't even know anything about them. Shouldn't I get to know my enemies to fight them better?'  
  
*... I suppose so, but if you're lying, then you're going to get a severe beating in your mind.*  
  
'Just relax for a bit... There's nothing... for you to... worry about...' She closed her eyes, fatigue taking over her system.  
  
The others sighed in relief and calmed down. They had been afraid that she was going to go through another one of her insane power surges.  
  
"At least now she'll get some rest. Maybe then, she'll be able to remember things more clearly," Trunks guessed.  
  
"Yes, but for now, we have to get going back to the Kame house. Then, we can get our own rest and resume our search for Cell," Piccolo said. He floated into the air and shot off into the sky. The others followed his example and did the same, with Trunks carrying the sleeping Sekai in his arms as the sun continued to rise...  
  
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Ah, what's going to happen now?! I'm running out of ideas! O.o But I should be able to figure it out soon enough. As for the next chapter, I'll probably have it up by Wednesday or Thursday because I'm going on a trip. So just sit tight until then and be thankful that this isn't a cliffhanger! At least, I don't think it's a cliffhanger... It's not driving me crazy yet... Anyways, later! ^_^ 


	15. Awakening to a Search

Well, I guess I got this chapter out fast. My trip's been postponed until tomorrow so I wanted to get this chapter out quickly while you all waited. ^_^ There's not much in this one so please forgive me. I have to keep things at this pace. So happy reading!  
  
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ElysianAmazon: Yeah... He does tend to run away a lot in tough situations. But, maybe, then, he isn't so dumb. Otherwise, he'd be dead from getting ganged upon. Thanx. I'm happy that you are! ^_^ It makes me happy to see that people are being kept entertained with this. It is... I'm killing myself with my curiosity. O.o It's here so no more waiting! ... for now. ^_^() Ooh, pretty...  
  
Masquerade: Yep, and it's all come out of my head. O.o What's that tell ya? I hope I can keep it that way. ^_^() Eh... That's a really cool prediction... And it's giving me ideas... O.o I've got my own predictions, too, so I've got to stick with them, okay, brain?! Brain doesn't listen to me... ~.~ I'll make it listen to me! Okay, brain, listen! I think brain will listen now. Thank you and I will keep trying to do so. ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Oops, had I said that before? Will it drive my Seru-kun away? O.o I take it back then! Oh, no, Cell! Don't come after me! *does really bad acting to convince Cell to come after her* Okay? ^_^() Thankies! I did? Oh, yeah! I did! Hehe, how silly of me to forget. ^_^() He does... Give him more smoochies for me! ^_~  
  
YUE'S LOVER: Yep. Annoying enough to drive the calmest person insane... Maybe even Goku... Hmm, I'm getting ideas... Thank you! ^_^ *skips off to consider her idea*  
  
mae: Yep! ^_^ Me, too... Try not to let it... You just might go insane like Sekai and me! O.o() ... Thank you again! ^_^  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Hey, it's okay. Like you told me, take your time in reviewing. Can't lie? Never? O.o My ego's getting fat from being fed so much... Yeah, but you won't have to do much to do so. You're already in them! I try not to think about that... O.o I hope not in any bad way. Well, I didn't consider myself to be AWESOME (sorry for caps)... maybe nice and a goody- goody, but that's as far as it went...Really? Aw, I'm touched. ^_^ That's true. Wow, who wouldn't be at that hour? Unless you've been sleeping all day... All right! Well, she's just doing her job, I guess. I don't know. I'm not a mom. ^_^() (And I'm glad... A mom at 15? O.o Scary!) It is! Oh, really? Wow... Didn't expect to be such an influence on anyone. I guess it is... Maybe I will. ^_^ Yeah, he is. He's driving me insane, too! O.o Evil muse... I like the sound of that. We will! You're welcome. Awesome! I owe you one. Nope... Hopefully. Unless I start hitting people with it... O.o Er, that's my insanity talking, 'k? Ah, it's kinda like a gift you have. A natural talent. ^_^ Aw, thanx! She does... And, hopefully for her sake, he won't... (Thank you! I'll admit, I'm quite surprised about it myself...)  
  
lilmissgoten: Yeah, somewhat. I guess you could say I have, but I have a lot of free time during this break so I think about some ideas every now and then. Hey, that's okay. Sometimes, it's just hard to think about what'll happen next. Don't be so hard on yourself! That is... Makes you wish to be alone... It'd scare the heck out of me! O.o It already scares me just to write about it... He probably went off to get some lunch or just to get away from being beaten up by the others. ^_~ Maybe. Yeah, but in my personal opinion, he's got good taste. But I'm probably just saying that because she's my character. Thanx. (It's okay...)  
  
Sailor Vegeta Taichichi: New person again! Wow, I feel so special. ^_^ Many thanx! A stalker... Well, maybe not, but he could be... He's a psychopath bent on the earth's destruction... That's all I'll say for now. ^_^ You'll find out more soon... O.o Eh, don't do that too much... You'll hallucinate!  
  
Lady Rose: Hi! Nice to see you again! ^_^ Yep, of course! Thank you. An excellent question... She is but a special one. You'll find out more in the next couple of chapters, hopefully. I'm trying to follow a plan but am not so successful. ~.~ Later!  
  
Rene: Thank you. ^_^ Really? I'm so glad it did! I didn't think it could for so long. Well, you don't have to wait anymore because the next chapter's here now! ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: Dragonball Z is not mine. Any other unknown characters to the show, however, are mine. Simple, ne? ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Fifteen  
  
  
  
"... Currently, the monster has already assaulted Ginger Town, Nikki Town, and other various sites of the Spice Country..."  
  
"Ahh..." Sekai's heather eyes opened to a view of a white ceiling. She was laying on a soft sofa, covered with a blanket. The sound of the television amplified in her ears as she regained her senses and hurt her head. She shut her eyes, letting them adjust to the light and clearing her head a little bit. She had not dreamed at all while she slept.  
  
'Where am I? What am I doing here?' she thought painfully.  
  
"Hey, you're finally awake," a feminine voice spoke up.  
  
"It's about time." Another unfamiliar voice sounded.  
  
"Shut up, Oolong!" the first voice said.  
  
Sekai opened her eyes again and turned to the voices. A woman who looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties smiled contently at her. Her blue hair was held back by a red hair band that lined the top of her forehead, keeping it out of her face. In her arms, she held a cooing baby boy. Next to the two, there sat a short, pink pig at a dining table.  
  
"Where am I? How did I get here?" Sekai croaked. For some reason, her throat felt very sore. Had she been screaming a lot or something? Things just weren't clear for her at the moment.  
  
The woman walked to her and kneeled by her side next to the sofa. "You're at the Kame House. The others brought you here for your safety," she answered.  
  
"My safety? From what?" Sekai's mind tried furiously to make sense of the entire situation and remember everything. A memory of a voice calling to her came to mind...  
  
"From Cell, of course," the woman continued. "From what I've heard from the others, you've gone through a lot of trouble with that freaky bug-man. But let's not think about that right now. My name is Bulma."  
  
"And I'm Oolong," the pig intervened.  
  
"I'm Sekai," she responded as she sat up. Bit by bit, the past events came back to her and brought her back to the present. As she got up, the blanket slipped down to her waist, revealing her to be wearing different clothing. She blinked. 'I don't remember changing...'  
  
Bulma seemed to have read her thoughts and was quick to explain. "Oh, yeah, about your clothes. I had to give you some new ones because the ones you were wearing were really dirty and torn up. Plus, your shirt had a huge, gaping hole in it. Had to cover you up."  
  
"Don't see why. She looked just fine in her other clothes," Oolong said, propping his head up on his hand.  
  
"Was anyone talking to you, you little pervert?!" Bulma yelled angrily. She threateningly took a step towards Oolong, who decided to retreat before he became bacon.  
  
"I'm outta here!" he cried, running up the stairs.  
  
"Thank you..." Sekai said softly.  
  
"It's no problem," Bulma smiled cheerfully. Suddenly, the baby began bawling for some reason unknown. The screaming was enough to increase Sekai's headache ten-fold, and she slapped her hands over her ears to block it out.  
  
"Oh, baby Trunks, what's wrong? Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be right back," Bulma said quickly after seeing the discomfort the noise brought Sekai. She got up and left the room with the baby.  
  
"Ah..." Sekai breathed in relief. She lowered her hands from the sides of her head and sighed again. She didn't know why but when that baby had started crying, she had felt as if her head would explode. It was strange for noise like that had never had that much of an effect on her. She closed her eyes and contemplated on her thoughts.  
  
'How strange... All of this weirdness just had to happen to me now and all at the same time. It's too overwhelming,' she thought. She opened her eyes and remembered another little thing that was different. 'That baby... Ms. Bulma called him "Trunks." Isn't that also the name of that purple-haired man that tried to save me? What a peculiar coincidence...'  
  
As the throbbing in her brain eased up, Sekai took a good look at her surroundings. It looked to be a cozy little house that belonged to someone very homely. Dim sunlight streamed in through the large windows and, by the view, the sun looked to be either setting or rising.  
  
'How long have I been here?' she wondered.  
  
A few minutes passed and, soon, Bulma returned with baby Trunks. An old man came with her and greeted her politely.  
  
"Well, hello there, young lady. I'm glad to see that you're finally awake. My name is Master Roshi," he said.  
  
"Don't stare too long, old man," the woman warned. "Gosh, I'm sorry about that. It's just that when baby Trunks wants something, he wants it now," she apologized. Then she sighed. "Just like his father, he is..."  
  
"It's okay," Sekai forgave. "My name is Sekai," she introduced herself to Roshi. She turned back to Bulma. "Your baby; his name is Trunks?"  
  
"Yes, it is," Bulma blinked. "Why do you ask? ... Oh! The other man whom you saw must have come to mind. His name is Trunks, too, and I bet that confuses you, huh?"  
  
Sekai nodded.  
  
Bulma closed her eyes and nodded sympathetically in understanding. "It is hard to grasp, I know. And it's even harder for you with all the problems you've been going through. But the man whom you saw before is the grown up form of the little boy you see before you. The older one is from the future," she explained. "And he sure turned out to be handsome, didn't he, Trunksie-kun? Yes, he did..." she cooed to the baby who simply giggled in response.  
  
Sekai blinked. 'I think I remember Cell telling me that before...' She had a few more question to ask, though. "How long have I been here?"  
  
Bulma turned her attention back to Sekai. "Well, since the others brought you here in the early morning. You've been sleeping all day now and the sun's beginning to set."  
  
'All day?!' she thought. 'How could I have slept so long? The world's coming to its end and here I am, snoozing.' Gritting her teeth a bit to control her anger at herself, she looked up to Bulma to give her an answer to something she desperately needed to know. "Where are the others?"  
  
Bulma's expression became pensive and serious. "They've gone off to fight the androids. They had made a visit here right after the Z-senshi came here to drop you off and rest. So, to keep us safe, they led the androids away from here and fought them somewhere else."  
  
"Where?!" She all but jumped on the woman for the answer. "Where did they go?! Please tell me!"  
  
Bulma and Roshi became surprised and were left speechless for a moment. "Uh... I don't know. They flew off a long ways from here. I'd say somewhere secluded where there aren't any people," Bulma said.  
  
"Please calm yourself, miss," Roshi spoke. 'A feisty one, she is...' he thought.  
  
Sekai closed her hands into tight fists and became afraid. 'Who knows what's been happening this whole time. And where is Cell?' She looked at Bulma again. "Where is Cell?" she repeated her thoughts to the woman.  
  
"That I seriously have no clue about," she said, shaking her head. "I was told that while you had this 'power surge' of yours, that bug flew off before anyone could follow him. Nobody knows where he is."  
  
Roshi put in his two cents as well. "That monster has been travelling around the whole world faster than we can find him. It's hard to keep track of him with his stealth."  
  
"I have got to find him," Sekai said with determination. She got up and asked for her capsules after finding out that they weren't on her. The other two lost it.  
  
"What?! Are you crazy? You want to go looking for that monster? After having encountered him enough already? You were nearly killed this last time!" Bulma yelled. Even though she'd only known the girl for a little while, she didn't want her to throw her life away. Baby Trunks began to cry again from the loud noise but was ignored.  
  
"Yeah! Haven't you learned your lesson yet? The Z-senshi may not be able to save you this time!" Roshi cried.  
  
"I know that. But if I don't stop him now, then I never will. I must try to stop him before he absorbs the other androids. From what he told me, once he does that, he will be unstoppable," she said calmly.  
  
Bulma became surprised. "He told you that?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded. "Now I need my capsules in order to find him."  
  
The woman, once again, attempted to stop her with reason. "But Cell could be anywhere in the world. And the world is a big place. How do you expect to find him? You don't even know where to begin looking."  
  
"Oh, yes, I do." Sekai turned her attention to the television which had remained blaring and ignored during this whole ordeal.  
  
"... has caused terrible chaos to several regions of the world. He has been spotted in many cities and has caused destruction to each and every one of them. The latest report on the Nikki Town monster is that he has been seen in the far northern regions of the Spice Country that had been overlooked previously..."  
  
"That's all I need to know for now," Sekai turned back to Bulma, who looked very much distressed. "Now, my capsules, please?" She held her hand out to the woman. Bulma sighed in defeat. The baby continued to wail his head off.  
  
"I'll go get them. I know that I can't stop you," she turned and left with the crying boy. Soon after, she returned and handed Sekai her capsules. Baby Trunks had calmed down a bit since then and cooed quietly. "Here. I just hope you know what you're doing."  
  
Roshi grumbled in annoyance at not getting his way. Not only did he want Sekai to be safe from Cell, but he'd had some big plans to get to know her, too! And now those plans were dashed...  
  
Sekai took the capsules and pocketed them. "Thank you. I am grateful to you both for your kindness and hospitality. I only hope so too." She turned to the door and walked outside onto the sandy beach. Bulma went after her to watch her go while Roshi went to bask in self-pity. Pulling out the capsule containing a small cruise boat, Sekai threw it a distance away to expand. Then, she jumped into the boat and started the ignition. She turned back to Bulma and thanked her again.  
  
"Don't worry about me. I'll be back soon enough with the good news about Cell's horrible death, okay?" she reassured in a cheerful tone. Yet as cheerful as she sounded, Sekai was scared and didn't completely believe that she'd ever come back to give the news. Though, she still didn't want anyone to worry over her decision.  
  
Bulma nodded, but the worried expression never left her face. "You be careful now, you hear?! I want to see you come back here with a smiling face, all right?" She blinked back some tears at watching such a young girl go face to face in a meeting with possible death.  
  
"I will! And remember, no worries!" was the last thing that she said to Bulma as she sped off out into the ocean. First she became a dot on the horizon, and then, as the sun dipped down, disappeared completely from sight.  
  
Bulma sighed as she held baby Trunks. "She's so much like Goku..." she murmured to no one for the baby certainly wasn't bothering to listen. Together, the two went back into the Kame House.  
  
Sekai pushed the boat as fast as it could go. 'Please don't let it be too late...' she thought in despair. She continued to drive as the sun slowly sank into the horizon, changing day to night...  
  
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Hey, sorry not much action in this chappie. But had to keep everything at its pace. Next chapter will be better, okay? ^_^ Until then, bye! 


	16. Hardships and Targets Found

Man, have I missed a lot or something? I leave for two days and ff.net won't let me log in anymore! O.o It's getting weird. With my scary dreams and going back to school today... ~.~ Could it be an omen for something? O.o I hope it's not a bad one! Anyways, hope you enjoy this chappie! ^_^  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: O.o Well, it better not take that risk then... Yeah, it's good to consider keeping it in check. Definitely. But do they really have any other hobbies? O.o Oh, you're embarrassing me... *blushes deeply* Wow, that is strange. But can that really be bad? Only if it harms your health. ^_^ Yep and I am too! Oh, I'm happy for that! ^_^ Most definitely. But he'll be back sooner or later... Of course I will want to! Why wouldn't I? I'm not one to leech off of others. At least, I don't think I am... O.o Yeah, some do. It knocks good sense into them! Wait, I might need a hit... Uh-huh. It's not hard to believe. You show great talent in your writing all the time. ^_^ Really, I can't help it. And more new people are reading and reviewing, too. It's just so wonderfully overwhelming. *sniffs* ^_^ There I go again... Yeah, I guess so. I'm glad that it wasn't boring to you! ^_^ Yep. She'll need it. We will now...  
  
mae: Yes, he is! But that's him. Can't change that... ~.~ Thank you! ^_^  
  
lilmissgoten: Yeah, he's just such good comic relief. ^_^ Yep. She won't give up especially after getting all riled up by that voice... No, she doesn't, but she hates to be left out of the action. And Cell's got some work to do himself. Oh, my gosh! He has! O.o The world must truly be ending... Well, maybe not. ^_^() She does... I'm glad it wasn't to you! ^_^ Yeah, you're right. Can't skip over the little things, now can we? ^_~ Thankies! You don't have to wait anymore. Hey, that's cool. I've never seen that movie... Must be good, though, from what little things I've heard about it. Aw, hey, you don't have to. Stay! Uh, sorry... I'm just alone in the house right now, that's all. ^_^()  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Aw, thank you! Your encouragement really means a lot to me like the other reviews. ^_^ Ah, that Cell... Having to make notice of little differences. *rolls her eyes* That is definitely him. Yeah, you tell him! So what, Cell? I'm not worrying about acting as my career in life. :P Haha, Cell is getting annoyed! *gasp* He's coming! He's coming! *starts jumping around like crazy* Ooh, how do I look?! Is my hair okay? *starts blabbering stupidly* Eep! I must make a good impression. *trips* Uh... Nobody saw that, 'k? ^_^()  
  
Sailor Vegeta Taichichi: I love that word! 'Groovy!' ^_^ I guess she is. Kinda insane now but brave nonetheless. ^_^() Aw, don't sell yourself short. You never know... ^_^  
  
Lady Rose: Hello! ^_^ Thanx! No, don't go! Please! :( Aw... But there's got to be some! So maybe I'll keep seeing you, right? ^_^ RIGHT?! Good. ^_^ Well, I'll still be here and writing so you know where to find me. ^_^ So I'll see you whenever hopefully!  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ or any of its characters are not mine. Any other unfamiliar characters are mine, though. I'm tired of saying this...  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Sixteen  
  
  
  
"Now where could that cockroach be?" Sekai mumbled absently, steering her cruise boat along the surface of the ocean. Only a few minutes had passed since she left the Kame House and now some other islands came into her view as she drove. Droplets of water flew up and mixed with the sweat on her face. Even as the sun began to set, the temperature didn't seem to get any lower.  
  
One particular island was exceptionally close, and she made that one her next destination. Keeping a steady pace, she steered the boat westward to the island.  
  
'Maybe I can find something there that will be of use,' she thought. Her throat felt parched and she wished that she had gotten something to eat or drink back at that house. Turning her head out to the water, she sighed in remorse. 'Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink,' she repeated the old saying. 'I bet the person who came up with that is laughing really hard at me right now.' Still, she pushed onward.  
  
About ten minutes passed before she came quite close to the land. It was then that she thought she heard some sounds way up ahead. Like gunshots or something...  
  
"What in the world is it now?" she grumbled. As she came closer, the sounds became more distinct, and she found them not to be gunshots at all but fired blasts of a sort. Getting suspicious, she abruptly changed course, nearly making the boat tip over and send her splashing into the cold water below. The islands were so far away that she couldn't get a clear shot of what was happening there even as hard as she squinted her eyes. She growled. 'I bet it's Cell's handywork,' she assumed.  
  
She pressed on the accelarator of the boat as hard as she could without breaking it off and sped to the source of the disturbance. It was times like this that she felt regretful for some of the things that she'd done. "Why is that I never have a fast vehicle when I need it?!" she scolded herself. 'Because you never had enough money to buy one,' she answered her own question. Strong gusts of wind blew, making her eyes tear up from the iciness of it all. All she could hope was that she didn't miss anything and made it in time.  
  
Soon, the sounds of the blasts were loud enough to hurt her ears. Sekai knew that she was getting dangerously close and that the only way that she would be able to escape would be either fleeing on land or on the ocean by her slow cruise boat. The latter would have her killed-- drowned, more accurately-- most likely. Yet she had to see what was going on.  
  
The sight of a large, red ball of energy made her gasp and stop the boat from going any farther. The ki ball was headed straight for one of the many islands. Sekai watched with unblinking eyes as the blast swallowed up the land and burst its surroundings in a flourish of light and wind. She only hope that the island had been deserted so no people could have been destroyed as well.  
  
Coming out of her shock after a moment, she grit her teeth to control her anger. Whipping her head up towards the sky, she looked for the location of the origin of the blast. Her eyes went back and forth, looking for any figure in the air. Finally, her eyes rested on the silhouette of a creature. A creature with a killer tail.  
  
"Cell..." she hissed. "Wait. He's saying something." She strained her ears to listen to him.  
  
"... out now! I will not ask again! Eighteen! Come out!" His voice rang clearly in her ears but was unfamiliar.  
  
'His voice... It's changed,' she noted. 'Oh, well. It doesn't really matter. He's still his old, evil self and his death is all that is important enough to accomplish.' She moved the boat on again towards his location. 'But who's this Eighteen?'  
  
She continued to drive and listen to what Cell had to say, keeping a watchful eye on him. As he waited for a response and later received none, he called out again. Sekai smirked at hearing his tone. He was frustrated about something and was glad he was.  
  
'Let him get some payback, the bastard...' Once again, his voice traveled to everything within a forty mile radius. 'God, he's got some major lungs.' She flinched at the annoying sound.  
  
"Eighteen! Are you listening to me?! If you don't come out, then I will destroy each and every one of these islands until you do! Do you hear me?!" Cell screamed.  
  
Eighteen gasped from her place on one of the islands. "Oh, no..." she murmured.  
  
"Eighteen, please. You must remain quiet. We cannot take any chances of Cell finding you," a mechanical voice spoke.  
  
Android 18 turned to her companion. "But, Sixteen, we can't just stay here. Sooner or later, this island will be the only one left and, after that, it will be gone too."  
  
"I realize that," he continued. "But if you try to escape, then Cell will see you and you'll be caught again. All we can do for now is wait."  
  
"Wait for what?! Our deaths? There must be something we can do. Anything to stop that monster," she cried.  
  
Android 16 paused. "There is nothing to be done. Cell is too powerful, especially now that he has absorbed Android 17."  
  
Eighteen bristled. It had been a horrible experience watching her brother get absorbed by that creature. To see him die like that... She would do whatever she could to avoid getting in the same predicament. Saddened, she turned back to look at the sky at Cell.  
  
'I won't let you get away with this, Cell. You monster...' she thought.  
  
"Ah!" Sekai cried out unintentionally. Cell had charged up another blast and shot it at the very island that she had been planning to set foot on. Yet the energy ball had hit way before she was too dangerously close to get caught in the fire of it. However, much disturbance occurred including a tidal wave that her boat had barely managed to survive and had soaked her to the bone. Slapping a hand over her mouth while fighting to keep control of the boat, she only prayed that he hadn't heard her. She looked up at him.  
  
His body was turned away from her and he still remained frustrated as ever as his tail whipped about in anger. He hadn't seemed to have heard.  
  
She sighed out of her nose and removed her hand from her mouth. The best thing she had right now was the element of surprise, and she didn't want to lose that, too. Another island lay ahead of her, as she saw, that looked quite lush and mountainous. It was the nearest one to her so she decided to go there. Being careful not to have Cell spot her, she steered the boat to the far side of the island, away from him. She was actually surprised that he hadn't sensed her yet.  
  
'He's too focused on something else to take note of his surroundings,' she thought. 'Heh, not the brightest.' Minutes passed and more islands were obliterated, but the one she was going to was, thankfully, spared. Finally, she reached land and stepped foot on the sandy ground. Capsulizing her boat, she started on her way towards the huge mountain. From there, she would be able to get a clear view of him and attack.  
  
Cell growled furiously. That android just loved to annoy him! There was no sign of her anywhere and there were only three or four islands left to where she could be hiding so she couldn't have escaped yet. He only wished that androids had a ki to sense. Things would be much easier then!  
  
Eighteen tensed and backed away a few steps.  
  
"Don't move," Sixteen ordered. Eighteen looked at him, confused. "Cell will be able to spot the slightest movement anywhere and, once he does, he will come after you."  
  
"Uh..." Eighteen blinked, unable to think of anything to say. Silently, she turned her head back to the scene.  
  
"Argh... It's times like this that I wish I knew how to fly," Sekai complained as she rounded a sharply high hill. Watching her handholds and footholds, she continued up over the mountain. She had discovered that everywhere around it, the ground temperature was intensly hot. It had been hard enough just going through it to get to the base of the mountain, and she was sure that the heat would have killed her of dehydration way before she reached the other side of the island. So she had resorted to climbing the mountain in the free open air. It was much better than suffocating in a natural oven.  
  
*You know you can learn how to fly.*  
  
Sekai nearly lost her grip on the rock she was grasping and almost fell seven hundred feet to the forest floor in her surprise.  
  
'What are you doing here?! Trying to kill me?! You scared the hell out of me!' she screamed in her mind.  
  
*Sorry. I just want to help you with your little dilemma.*  
  
'Your help is unwanted, O Killer of Humans everywhere,' she thought flatly.  
  
*Very funny. But I just want you to know that you can really learn how to fly. All you have to do is release your ki and let it push you upwards.*  
  
'Really now? How would you know that? I thought you didn't have a physical body so how could you have learned?'  
  
*Don't be foolish. I lost my physical body after I learned how to fly. Before that, I always flew around. Anyways, I would have still had the knowledge of flying even if I never did fly for reals.*  
  
'Well, that's interesting. Just how did you lose your body?' she asked.  
  
*That's not important. Now just let go of your ki and make it push you up into the air.*  
  
'Fine.' She let go of the topic for the moment and figured that she had nothing to lose for trying it.  
  
*But I do suggest that you try it out on some solid and level ground.*  
  
Sekai looked down and got a disturbing view of nothing but sharp, jagged, hard rocks below her. She gulped and started climbing up again.  
  
'For once, you're actually right,' she admitted. A few feet higher up, she saw what looked like a large cliff. "There. That'll be a good spot for a test flight. Looks sturdy enough," she said and continued onwards, climbing in the direction to reach the cliff.  
  
As soon as she reached it, she hopped onto the surface and nearly fell over from lack of balance. She soon steadied herself, however, and readied herself.  
  
"Okay, now..." she said to no one. Getting a glimpse of the landslide that suddenly plummeted to the ground, she gulped again and looked away from the sight. "I guess it starts now then." She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her ki...  
  
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Well, there it is. Sorry for being late with posting it. I'll try to post the next chapter by tomorrow, but there are no guarantees. ^_^() So later! 


	17. Some Unlucky Falls

These updates are just getting further and further apart, aren't they? Sorry about that, but I'm not on my computer as much anymore so it takes me longer to update. Geography homework takes me a while to process. ^_^() But I'm still happy because you know what? My no-good uncle and his dumb wife and kids have finally moved out of my house. After six sickening months, they're gone. GONE! Poof, just like that. To some high-rent apartment. But they're not in my house, and that's all that's important to me. ^___^ Free sodas and candy for everyone! *showers everyone with goodies* I'm feeling very generous today for that. ^_^ And this chapter is longer than the others so I hope you enjoy. ^_^ On to the reviews!  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: I guess so. Aw, I'm touched by it! ^_^ Yep, especially ones like Vegeta's. O.o Mmm... Eggos... I am so hungry... ^_^ They're stuff is not my business nor do I want them to be. I'm just happy with people like you. At least it's a good embarrassing feeling; not the kind where you trip and fall in front of your whole school. No, that's a bad embarrassment. I'm happy to make you feel that way! It is. Who me? *looks behind her* Uh... I never thought about that. But what about you? You're certainly fit for the job. ^_^ It's not harmful... yet. ^_^() I'm always around walls and plushies... O.o But I won't be the one to start it if I ever do that. The plushies always start it! That's good. Yep! Yes, he is... Like a shadow... Only once though! And probably for the last time. Uh... I'd say, since it's so frightening that he could actually be right about something, that it's a bad sign... And I hope I never do. I'd be going even lower than Cell if I did. . I don't? Well, you're the boss! ^_^ You can keep me in line so if you think I need a thesaurus beating, you just go ahead and whack me, 'k? ^_^ Aw, thanx. *sniffs and takes the tissue* Thank you... Definitely of joy... Uh-huh, he had to get there sometime. Yep! ^_^ He isn't, but that is what makes him fun to play around with. Yep, that dumb fish-face... She's learning, all right! Oh, yeah, they are... *shudders*  
  
Masquerade: Yep. Ack! You're too smart! You're changing MY ideas 'cause I think yours is better. But I'm kinda mixing and playing around with things here now. Experimenting, I guess you could say. Really? I'm glad! ^_^ Wait no more now. The evil uploader finally let me post this chapter. Yay! ^_^ And I will!  
  
ElysianAmazon: Yeah, went a bit slow, but then again, I'm a slow person. ^_^() I am! No way am I stopping now! Aw, thank you! No more waiting for now. The next chapter is here! ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ^__^ Ack! I've got to get ready! I have to fix my hair! Where's my "1-2-3 Easy Kissing Guide" book?! Or my "Bye-bye Clumsiness" pamphlet? *trips* I'm okay! *goes off to a miracle worker*  
  
kyro: Yay! New person! ^_^ Yep! She is! I'm happy that you're happy! ^_^ I will, don't worry! Ooh, really? THAT bad? *whimpers* She doesn't? *faints from all the talking* *wakes up to hear kyro still talking* Ah... Too much... Thank you, Vivien! *bows down to Vivien*  
  
Pen Dragon: Aw, lost? Ki does come in handy. But I'm happy that you did find one! ^_^ Wow, I never want to go splat... 40? All close to you? Eww... You should. I'm cheering you on for that. All right, you're... somewhere else. ^_^() I don't have a good sense of direction, 'k? So you should know that. Cell plushie?! Gimme! Gimme! Ah, I want to be where you are... Well, maybe not. You can adapt! ^_^ I think...  
  
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: I hope not! That would really mess up my writing plan... Moreso than it already is... What am I saying?! I have no plan! *cries* Okay, I'm done now. O.O No, I've killed another innocent soul! *cries again* Okay, I'm done again. Have fun with him!  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ is copyright of Akira Toriyama. Any other characters not with the show are mine.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Seventeen  
  
  
  
"Here goes nothing..."  
  
Sekai shut her eyes and focused her energy outwards. As she expected some kind of reaction, nothing happened. Not to be discouraged so easily, she concentrated harder to push it out. Still nothing happened and she began to wonder what she was doing wrong.  
  
*You're not focused completely. You're pushing your ki out, but you're not telling it what you want it to do. Make it push your body upwards.*  
  
'Did I ask for your help?' she snapped. No way was she taking orders from a psychotic spirit.  
  
*No. But you need it and you know it.*  
  
'Who says? I just like to take my time sometimes, got it?' she lied. She did need help, but she wasn't about to admit it. Especially to this guy.  
  
*Whatever you say. Now are you going to get moving or wait until the whole world is doomed?*  
  
Sekai growled. 'Just shut up and go away! I don't need your help, and I don't want your help. Can you understand that little thing, hmm?' The voice growled and pulled another pressure surge on her. She cried out, grabbing her head.  
  
*Don't show disrespect to me! You're nothing but a pawn in this game!*  
  
"Ah... Ah..." she choked out. Everything was spinning and spots were flashing in front of her eyes. The spirit released the tight grip of pain but not in time. No longer able to keep her balance, Sekai fell headfirst over the cliff to the sharp rocks below.  
  
  
  
"Man, I don't like doing this..." Krillin moaned. "Why is it that I'm alway stuck with the close call jobs?!"  
  
Krillin was running around and over the many rocks covering the island. He was searching for Android 18 so that he could shut her down. He looked at the remote in his hands and sighed. So far he had no luck in finding her and since he had felt Cell's ki a while back, he was even more cautious. Well, not completely cautious. He stumbled over a small rock and tripped.  
  
"Ow..." He got back up and looked around to see if Eighteen was anywhere nearby. Boy, would he have been embarrassed if she had seen him do that!  
  
"Now where is she?" he mumbled.  
  
"What was that?" Eighteen sharply turned her head in the direction behind her. A flicker of ki had made itself known and caught her attention.  
  
'Huh?' Krillin thought. He caught sight of Eighteen and retreated behind a boulder. 'Oh, man, did she hear or see me? This isn't good...'  
  
"Somebody is there," Sixteen replied, still in the same sitting position and staring straight ahead. Squirrels crawled up onto his shoulder and head, sniffing at the damage to his skull that had been done by Cell. Sixteen remained motionless and didn't appear to mind at all.  
  
Eighteen completely ignored the little furballs. She was surprised that with all the damage that Sixteen had had inflicted to him, he was still able to sense and function quite normally.  
  
"What?" she asked. "Who is it?"  
  
"I do not know. The ki signature is unfamiliar in my data bank," he answered.  
  
She turned her body full about to him, not caring if Cell noticed her movement or not. "Is it a danger to us? Can we fight it off if it is an enemy?" The last thing she needed was another potential danger to hers and Sixteen's existence. Whoever it was must be quite a bit strong if it were enough to catch her attention. 'It flickered high enough to get me to notice it when I wasn't even focused on an energy level,' she thought.  
  
"It is difficult to tell. The power level fluxuated too quickly to measure accurately or locate," he said monotonously.  
  
She let a loud, frustrated sigh out through her nose. "Just what we need. Another problem." Her sarcasm only darkened their moods further. They focused back on Cell. Only one island was left now. The island they were on.  
  
Krillin silently listened in on what they were saying to each other. 'I don't think they're talking about me...' he thought. 'But if it's not me, then who?'  
  
Suddenly, Eighteen snapped to attention again. Sixteen did the same from his place on the ground.  
  
"What's that?" Two other kis were heading in their direction, and they were coming at them incredibly quickly.  
  
Krillin stretched his senses as well to feel who was coming. 'Hey, it's them! Finally!' He nearly dropped the remote in his hands but was quick to catch it. "Phew..." he sighed. 'I really should be putting it to use now while she's distracted... But I can't seem to.' He looked at her from around the boulder. 'She's so beautiful... Wait! What am I thinking?! She's an android! I can't be thinking like this!' He shook his head to clear it of the present thoughts. 'Think straight, Krillin!'  
  
"It's Vegeta and another," Sixteen told her. "I do not recognize the other. They are coming to fight Cell."  
  
"And possibly us, too, Sixteen! We can't just keep hiding here forever. Someone is eventually going to find us."  
  
"There is not much we can do at this moment. Cell is too strong and the strength of the others combined will make it even more difficult. All we can do is wait for now." Little hope sounded in Sixteen's voice.  
  
"Wait for what?! For Cell to absorb me and kill you? For Vegeta to tear us apart?" Eighteen clenched her fists tightly to her sides and gritted her teeth. She hated feeling so helpless and weak.  
  
Sixteen turned his head to where Vegeta and the other ki finally arrived. "Just wait."  
  
Eighteen saw what he was looking at and tensed. 'That damn bastard... And that kid is here, too!' Unclenching her fists, she fell back upon Sixteen's command and waited.  
  
But what were they waiting for?  
  
  
  
Spots flashed before her eyes and then she let go of resistence and fell forwards. Only, she remembered that there was nothing ahead of her to make contact with. She just kept falling...  
  
'What's this? Where is the ground?' Sekai thought. She opened her eyes to see blurs in front of her. And the ground coming closer and closer very quickly...  
  
Yet that wasn't the ground. She soon figured that out as her body rotated and her back came in contact with the hard surface, making her wince. It didn't stop there. She continued to fall and, this time, her shoulder was the part to be damaged. The bone in her shoulder instantly moved out of place, breaking. Sekai didn't care though. All she cared about was finally hitting the ground for the last time.  
  
'What is wrong with me? I have to stop myself.'  
  
Regaining some sense, she rolled herself into a ball and went down the side of the mountain like a wheel. The sleeve of her shirt caught with a small boulder and ripped the part off. She could hear something behind her but couldn't tell what it was.  
  
All of a sudden, her body stopped. She had hit something but, by the way she was positioned, the ground was much farther away than this. Her legs were propped up in the air by the object and her torso and arms lay against the side of the mountain. She panted a bit and, with effort, got into an upright sitting position while holding her left injured shoulder. A huge boulder just bigger than her balanced itself against the edge of another cliff, as she discovered. She could only see the end of the cliff around her. From the way it was propped up, the boulder would probably fall over with the slightest movement. She was only glad that it already hadn't.  
  
Breathing quietly through her nose, Sekai considered the predicament she was in. 'Okay, Sekai, let's not panic. You've been in worse situations than this. Way worse than hanging over a cliff. So this should be a piece of cake. Yeah...'  
  
Ignoring the burning sensation in her shoulder, she carefully hoisted herself up to the side of the mountain and mentally berated herself. 'Why did I listen to that jerk?! I knew there had to have been a catch like this, and I bet he knew it,' she thought. As she pushed herself up, she accidentally put too much pressure against the boulder she used for leverage and knocked it over the cliff. The mountain shook as it rolled down to the ground, making a final thud there. She could hear it shatter into pieces and prayed that she wouldn't be next. Sighing, she turned at got a strong grasp on her handholds and footholds once more. Yet she froze at the sight she saw.  
  
Hundreds of boulders of every side were rolling down towards the ground, and Sekai was stuck in their path of descent. She couldn't think of anything to do. There certainly wasn't any room to dodge them, and, even so, she wouldn't be able to miss them all.  
  
A small rock came at her and hit her in the head. She winced slightly and tried to think clearly of an escape route. "This is not good..." she murmured.  
  
*Try to fly again.*  
  
'You're just asking for it, aren't you? What do you think I am, stupid? I'm not about to make the same mistake twice.'  
  
*That time it turned out to be a fluke. Now you've got the motivation to do it. Besides, do you have any other choice?*  
  
Sekai looked up. The boulders were getting bigger and bigger to her. She could just imagine herself standing there, doing nothing, and getting squashed like a bug by one of those huge rocks. Shuddering and shaking her head, she decided to try it again.  
  
'That would be a more fitting death for Cell.'  
  
Focusing her energy while taking some major hits from the rocks, Sekai commanded her ki to lift her up. A light breeze blew her hair upwards slightly and ruffled her clothes. As some light of hope came into her, a rock that she couldn't handle knocked her right in the forehead. Her concentration collapsed and she slapped her hands to the bump on her head. Only, at that moment, she forgot that she was about four thousand feet above the ground and began to topple over.  
  
Panicking, she flapped her arms about her for some balance but couldn't gain enough. She flipped over and smacked her head right against the sharp rocks. Gritting her teeth, she could feel her vertebrae bend painfully at her neck and hoped that it would snap, just to end it all. By reflex, her hands clawed at the dirt and rocks to stop her descent. Grabbing a particularly sharp one and holding it too tightly, the point of it stabbed into her palm, causing it to bleed.  
  
Yet she didn't care. For then, another one of those enormous monstrosities of nature fell right on the small of her back, cracking it a little. Finally, Sekai couldn't take it anymore and released her hold on the mountain. She rolled down as she was pummeled with the many boulders. One knocked her clear out off the side of the mountain, away from the landslide. Free from the danger, Sekai realized that she still may be able to save herself. Once again, she concentrated to at least slow herself down.  
  
The wind whistled furiously in her ears as she fell. Her fists clenched and unclenched in her effort while her eyes remained shut. She didn't want to see what was obviously below her. In her confusion of what was happening around her, she couldn't tell if her hard work was paying off or not. Consumed with the thought of not wanting to die, especially without defending herself, she forced her ki to push her up.  
  
But which way was up?  
  
All she was doing was twirling and spinning closer and closer to her death. Opening her eyes, Sekai could see the mountain larger, like she was at the bottom. She didn't have much time left.  
  
Feeling helpless and hopeless, Sekai panicked again and could feel herself shut down. Spots flashed in front of her eyes and everything was a giant blur. Tears were flowing up out of her eyes and then she saw the direction she was looking for. Crying softly, she snapped and let out an earsplitting scream, seeing the world collapse in her eyes. Then there was light...  
  
  
  
A loud cry was heard. Eighteen, Sixteen, Krillin, and even Cell were caught by it. Vegeta and Trunks had arrived a while before, both as Super Saiya- jins, and a battle had begun between Vegeta and Cell with Cell on the losing side. Though, they had paused at the sound of the yell and they listened, frozen by the intensity of it all.  
  
"Wh-what's that? Sixteen?" Eighteen stuttered. She was frozen in place by the amount of ki she was sensing right now.  
  
Sixteen himself was left in shock momentarily by the sudden fluxuation of energy. "I do not know..." he trailed off.  
  
'Oh, man! That is a high power level!' Krillin thought, getting scared. 'It feels somewhat familiar, too...' The remote shook in his hands and it fell from his hands in his shock, making a clanking sound.  
  
Eighteen and Sixteen turned to the sound of the fallen remote. Eighteen spotted the remote and gasped. 'That's an emergency shut-down mechanism! But who...' She saw Krillin emerge from behind the boulder, trying to hide his fear. He looked at the remote and then back at her.  
  
'I can't do it... She's so... pretty. And if I shut her down, then she'll be left defenseless against Cell. I'll have to destroy her, and I know that I can't do that,' he thought. He could feel Eighteen's gaze on him, and he kept his eyes on the remote, making a final decision. Walking to the remote, he raised his foot and brought it down hard on the device, shattering it.  
  
Eighteen gasped again, and her eyes widened. 'Why did he...'  
  
"Get out of here. It's not safe for you two to be here. Please, you must go," Krillin told them, trying to remain calm. 'That must have been the dumbest thing I've ever done! And all over a pretty girl!'  
  
Eighteen couldn't respond and Sixteen didn't feel the need to. Rumbling was heard from the site of the energy, getting all their attention again.  
  
Cell, very much bruised and beaten, was looking to the other side of the island, trying to figure out what the energy was or who it belonged to. A light was emitting from the area of the ki level. "I have never sensed anything like it, except for..." He gasped. "But that can't be! Even her power level didn't go up this high!"  
  
Vegeta, not one to have his attention grabbed so easily or for so long, turned to Cell, losing interest in the new ki burst. "What the hell are you talking about, Cell?" He crossed his arms and sneered at Cell, who ignored him and stared out at the area from which the energy came.  
  
"That scream... It sounds like..." Trunks trailed off. His mouth hung open as he floated.  
  
Vegeta turned to him next. "Now what are you talking about, boy?"  
  
Trunks stuttered,"It's Sekai... Sh-she's doing that..."  
  
Vegeta blinked. "Who? Do you mean that girl you told me about in the Room of Spirit and Time?"  
  
Trunks gulped and nodded. Nothing more could be said before they saw Cell shoot off towards Sekai's energy.  
  
"Cell, where do you think you're going?!" Vegeta sped off and cut off Cell's path. Trunks joined up with the two.  
  
Cell growled. "Stay out of this, Vegeta. I have some business to take care of with that girl," he said.  
  
"You have some business with us, too. And we're already here so deal with us first. Don't run away from what you've already begun," Vegeta smirked, referring to himself and Trunks.  
  
Eighteen, Sixteen, and Krillin turned to where Cell and the Saiya-jins floated in the sky. They had heard a little bit of what Cell had said but had heard nothing of Vegeta's or Trunks's conversation with him. Then Cell had tried to fly off, but then Vegeta stopped him. All were left more than confused.  
  
"What's going on, Sixteen? Can you hear anything?" Eighteen was beginning to feel overwhelmed with this turn of events.  
  
"No. And I am not sure what exactly is happening now. I haven't quite sensed a power level this high until now. And its signature is unfamiliar to my memory bank. I believe that Cell wants to investigate it," he answered as best he could.  
  
"It's a girl whom the Z-senshi and I found a few days ago. She came to fight Cell, I think. But she has this strange power that she has no control over and it causes her to... go insane, kind of," Krillin explained.  
  
Eighteen stood with her mouth hanging open slightly. Then she turned to Sixteen. "We can't stay here anymore. This new ki is only on the other side of the island. This girl will certainly find us. And we have no allies so she will probably try to attack and kill us both like she wants to kill Cell! We're not exactly the good guys here!" she yelled at him, a little too loudly. Krillin and Sixteen couldn't shush her in time.  
  
Cell was about to retort a remark to Vegeta when he thought he heard something. The other scream had died down but the light still remained. He looked about for the other voice and spotted something that he thought he would never have found.  
  
Eighteen.  
  
She was there.  
  
Immediately, a plan of action formed in Cell's head. He would absorb Android 18, kill off the girl, and then destroy all the Z-senshi and world. Simple as that. A smirk formulated on his face, but Vegeta's voice brought a frown on.  
  
"Well, Cell. It's about time you returned to the world of the living. Let us continue this," he said impatiently.  
  
"Uh..." Cell blinked, trying to think of a way to convince Vegeta to act on his advantage. He smiled beguilingly. Trunks payed close attention to anything Cell might try. "Vegeta, I can tell that you're not really challenged with fighting me in the state I'm in. But this isn't my final form. I have one more form that, when achieved, will make me even more powerful than I am now. If you will let me achieve that level of power, then I will promise you a challenge that will be worth your while."  
  
Vegeta's expression looked indifferent. Before he could respond, Trunks intervened.  
  
"No! Father, don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you!" he cried futilly.  
  
"Silence, boy!" Vegeta snapped. He fell silent, considering Cell's offer.  
  
"Please, you can't be serious to actually consider it!" Trunks tried again.  
  
"I may," he smirked. "I am a Saiya-jin and it would be hardly me, as a Saiya-jin, to pass up a challenge."  
  
"But then you won't be able to beat him!"  
  
"Quiet!" he growled. "This is my decision, and it will be whatever I say, understand?"  
  
"Please, reconsider..."  
  
Cell watched the father and son silently, once in a while glancing at Eighteen. 'Hurry...' he thought.  
  
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Well, there it ends for now. I think this is my longest chapter so far, but I wanted to make it up to you all for the wait. ^_^ Everything seems to depend on Vegeta's decision. What will happen? What will he decide? Um... I'll try to figure out what. ^_^() Anyways, the next chapter will be out in a few days! Later! ^_^ 


	18. The Past is Reawakened

Here is the next chapter of CaM! ^_^ Well, this isn't as long as the last but I guess it's okay. There are a few little warnings though:  
  
Cell's not in this chapter. (Well, I don't know if that's really a warning...)  
  
There's some gore and violence, so if that offends you, then you probably shouldn't read this one. However, it is an essential part in the understanding of the story. 'K? ^_^ (Did anyone understand what I just said? 'Cause I surely don't! O.o)  
  
A few little potty mouth words... Oh, come on! This IS a PG-13 story! What else did you expect?  
  
Confusion. A lot of it. At least for me. There will be two Sekais in this chapter. So, to make things easier, the older, regular Sekai that we all know and love (hopefully) will simply be known as Sekai and the younger Sekai will be known as Sekai-chan. Just to clear things up a bit. ^_^  
  
Weirdness.  
  
... That's all. ^_^  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: I am too. ^_^ Wow... Man, sounds more than annoying to me. Sounds frustrating too. I don't know. It must be a curse or something. That's just what my "other family" was. But I'm touched that you would want to share this with me! ^_^ That is early... Or is it late? *shrugs* Aw, again with the oh, so bubbly-feeling-type compliments. *turns red* It's too much! I bet Goku ate the last one.... I like him too, but not as much as the Son family(Cell included)! Maybe... Or else they'll feel the force of our combined powers! ^_^ Hey, who's laughing at you?! I'll get them with my evil plushies! Ah, I don't know about that... But you're certainly motivating me! Yep. Yeah, they do! Seriously! *** Yes, he did. Eeh, maybe this chapter isn't for you then. ^_^() Yeah, well, he isn't so smart right now with that thick head of his. Nope. Well, he is weird. Yes, you! ... Disarray is a bad thing? Not with you if it is. ^_^ If you think that's the right choice... I don't mind at all! I even like them sometimes. ^_^ Yes, we do! I'm working on it. Yeah, I'd say so. ^_^() Mine neither... *shudders* sharp rocks bad... I like her too! She's cool! Yep. Thank you! I will, but I'll try not to go so slow as to kill myself from my own suspense. ^_^()  
  
lilmissgoten: Aw, don't worry about it. It's all right. I'm not going anywhere. Sure, whatever you want. ^_^ I bet it was... Not that I personally know, thankfully. Yeah, but she's a tough cookie! Mmm... cookies. Er, back to the subject! Probably but you never know... He just may be considerate of the others for once! (Not...) I like him to along with his first form. But I don't know which one I like best... Oh, well. Thankies! Wait no more! ^_^ *goes to get some cookies*  
  
lilmissgoten (again): *comes back with a big jar of cookies* Hi again. Want some? Here you go. *gives you and then everyone else a cookie* ^_^ Thanx! And it's okay! All right? Good. ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thanx! ^_^ Yep. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to look good for him... What's he talking about? I DID kiss him and I glomped him, too! ^___^ Thanx again. Man, he certainly gets his so-called "patience" from Vegeta... I wanna glomp him again! ~.~  
  
Pen Dragon: Don't give up! Keep looking for... whatever you're looking for! ^_^() Boy, those demons are pesky...  
  
ElysianAmazon: Yep. It's already giving me a headache... O.o Yep, until then! *waves the two-finger wave*  
  
kyro: Thankies! ^_^ More's coming; don't worry! Heh, maybe. Wow, really now? *watches and blinks* Yeah, sure... ^_^()  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine. It's Akira Toriyama's. Sekai, her family, the voice, and any other new characters and stuff, however, are mine. So... yeah. ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Eighteen  
  
  
  
She was floating.  
  
And she didn't hurt anymore.  
  
Everything just felt... happy.  
  
She could see herself down below. Her younger self. That self looked happy, too. Just like the feeling around her own body.  
  
'Where am I? Why is there another me?' Sekai thought. Her arms were crossed across her chest and over her knees, which were curled up. Warmth engulfed her, and she could feel her eyelids get heavy. But that confused her further. 'Aren't I dreaming? I shouldn't be feeling sleepy if I am, right?' No answer came to her.  
  
~Do you remember?~  
  
She gasped. 'Who said that?'  
  
~Do you not recognize me now, Sekai-chan?~  
  
'Should I? You don't sound like anyone I know.'  
  
~Look down and see.~  
  
Sekai did as she was told. There was her other self. Still there. But her older brother was there, too, now. Her brother, Nuko. Together, they played a game of hide-and-seek. Sekai-chan ran around, looking for a good spot to hide in. Nuko stood facing a tree with his arms covering his eyes and counted slowly to ten.  
  
'That's me and Brother... But I don't remember that happening,' she commented in her mind.  
  
~Keep watching.~  
  
Nuko had finished counting and begun his search. Both could sense each other; it was like a bond that they had had since birth. Yet he didn't want to ruin the game by cheating so he simply searched with his eyes. Little Sekai-chan had her hands to her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles as she hid in the deep crevice of the large family tree. She was the only one who could actually fit in. Tied to her obi was the silver dagger Yoru had given to her.  
  
Nuko was getting closer and closer to Sekai-chan. She kept very quiet now and kept her eyes on the lookout for him. But something wasn't right.  
  
'Is it supposed to be this quiet? Can I not hear what's going on?' Sekai wondered, half asking the voice who showed this vision to her.  
  
~Listen closely and find out.~  
  
She didn't feel like retorting to the remark so she kept on looking and, this time, listening as well. A faint sound reached her ears. It sounded like... Crows?  
  
Indeed, several crows were flying out of the trees, flapping away crazily like the end was near. Her younger self emerged from her tree and looked to investigate as well. Nuko did the same, feeling uneasy. Why would crows be there? And why would they try to get away from... What?  
  
Sekai, being so high above everything, suddenly saw smoke rise from the forest, only a few meters from where her other self and Nuko stood. The two soon caught the scent and, after that, the sight of the fire that began to blaze high into the sky.  
  
"Brother, a fire! What's happened?" Sekai-chan cried, pointing to the source.  
  
Nuko began to run to where the fire was. "Stay here! I'm going to see what's going on!" And he turned and ran, without looking back.  
  
Sekai-chan stood for a moment, caught between going after her brother and obeying his orders. Her hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of her dagger, and she finally bolted to the site of the fire. After all, she was a fighter, too, and wanted to help!  
  
"Nuko! Wait for me!" she called after him, running as fast as she could to catch up with him.  
  
Sekai watched the scene unfold before her eyes. 'That's when...'  
  
~Yes.~  
  
'Why are you showing this to me? Who are you?'  
  
~Keep watching and the answers will come to you.~  
  
She continued staring at the scene.  
  
Sekai-chan had reached the area near the fire. She couldn't go any farther. The smoke was so thick that it made her eyes sting and her throat go dry. She coughed and took cover behind a tree. Sounds of gunshots brought her right back out from it.  
  
Several men whom she didn't recognize were holding rifles and hot pokers along with other various weapons including flamethrowers. One had her mother in a tight hold from behind while another prepared to grind the poker through her gut.  
  
"Mommy!" Sekai-chan ran to try to save her mother, but her father reached her first. He managed to get her mother away but ended up with the men surrounding him. They all fired at him and, having the upper hand with their strength in numbers and advanced weaponry, they easily killed him off.  
  
Sekai screwed her eyes shut. 'Stop! I don't want to see anymore.'  
  
~You must see this. It's the only way the truth will be revealed to you.~  
  
'I don't want to know the truth, okay?! I'd rather live my life as a lie than have to go through this again.'  
  
~But don't you want to know how the culprits of your parents' deaths died? Don't you want to find out what destroyed them?~  
  
Sekai kept her eyes shut. Of course, inside, she wanted to know what happened to the lowly bastards. But could she really live through her childhood terror once more in exchange for it?  
  
She opened her eyes and watched again, making her decision silently.  
  
Satoshi knocked off the men as best she could, trying to reach her fallen husband. Sekai-chan was frozen in horror at seeing the murder of her father. She had taken out the dagger from her obi and held both the hilt and blade in her hands tightly. The blade cut through her skin in her right hand, and the blood dripped soundlessly to the ground. Her lips quivered slightly and tears formed at the corner of her eyes, but she didn't cry. She just watched.  
  
From afar, her brother fought off the other guards with his talented martial arts skills. But even that wasn't enough to get them all. One of the men jammed a poker clear through his side, leaving it in. Nuko gritted his teeth and, with the strength he could muster up, kicked the man in the chin. The force was so great that it snapped the man's neck in half, killing him. He fell limp to the ground.  
  
Agonizingly, Nuko yanked the poker from his side and held it as his own weapon. He saw his mother quickly being approached by the other men and fought his way through to her. He also saw Sekai-chan, frozen stiff and looking scared, standing out in the open with other guards running to her, armed. He heard a fire and turned, his pupils shrinking.  
  
Sekai-chan gasped, seeing the next action before her. They shot her. They killed-- no, slaughtered-- her. Her mother. The bullet flew through Satoshi's temple and out the other end, a small trail of blood following. The thud reverberated in Sekai-chan's and Sekai's ears as she fell next to Yoru, her eyes remaining open with the pupils shrunken down to the size of pin heads.  
  
Now they were both gone. She and Nuko were left to be orphans. No more father. No more mother. Just her and Nuko. With the damn bastards who killed them.  
  
"Sekai-chan! Run!" She could hear Nuko calling and running to her, but she couldn't move. The other men ran at her, aiming guns, rifles, pokers, and swords at various parts of her. Nuko reached her in time and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her.  
  
He suddenly grunted. Sekai-chan looked up at him, seeing his pain-filled face. Then she gasped as she saw the blade of a long sword coming out of his abdomen, nearly touching her own body. No blood covered it; it had gone through too smoothly and cleanly to leave any stains.  
  
Nuko, already wounded with the previous stabbing, fell to his knees, still holding Sekai-chan. He kept a tight grip on her, not wanting anyone to hurt her.  
  
"Nuko!" she cried. Tears flowed down both Sekais' cheeks.  
  
"Hurry... Sekai-chan. You have to... run... away. Now..." he seethed out. Sekai-chan covered his wound protectively, her right hand's blood mixing with his. A tingly sensation coursed through her hand there.  
  
A shadow covered her view from the fire. The butt of a rifle went up over one of the men's heads and went down, preparing to bash in Nuko's skull...  
  
Sekai was now hyperventilating. She wanted out of this dream! But she also wanted to see the fates of the men who were responsible for her pain. Mixtures of emotions coursed through her body; fear, anger, hate, love, hesitation, and sorrow.  
  
~I know this is hard. But it's for your own good.~  
  
'How would you know?! You don't know what I went and am going through!' she screamed.  
  
~... Please. Just try to hold on. There's only a little bit left.~  
  
'A little bit is too much...'  
  
The butt of the rifle came down. Sekai-chan screamed out a warning to Nuko. He moved his head forwards but didn't miss it. The rifle connected with the base of his neck and his eyes widened to their largest as a snap was heard. It rang in Sekai's and Sekai-chan's ears like cursed bells that would never cease their tolling.  
  
The moment went in slow motion. Sekai-chan lost it. All her fear, anger, love for her family, and hate for these terrible men channeled together inside of her and burst. Now all her family was dead. She was alone. She couldn't survive alone. She needed someone to take care of her. She was only six, damn it! No way would she make it out in the world by herself.  
  
Her energy fired outwards as she hugged her brother to her. She wanted to save him! She could still feel some little energy inside of him. The ruby in the hilt of the dagger glowed brightly along with her body as ki flourished around them. Then the energy of her brother faded away. He fell forwards against her and she hugged him, choking on sobs in her sorrow. But she could still feel his energy. It wasn't in him but... in her.  
  
Sekai blinked from above. 'How can I feel what she is feeling?'  
  
~Right now, you and she are directly linked. You can feel what she is going through so you know the greater effect of what happened ten years ago.~  
  
She could feel Nuko's energy inside her. But it wasn't ki energy. Just a spiritual energy not to be released as ki. It felt like... his soul.  
  
Sekai turned to the bright light now coming from below. Her younger self screamed seemingly endlessly and the bright flame of her aura wiped out all life that was within a two mile radius of her. The glow's intensity hurt Sekai's eyes, but she kept staring. She had never seen anything like this. She had to see this.  
  
'How... How can this be?' she thought, finding it all hard to believe.  
  
~This is the same power that you have recently begun to release these past few days.~  
  
Sekai's mouth hung open. She forgot to ask how the voice knew that and all of this. She forgot everything. All she focused on was the past events playing out before her. Her tear-filled eyes blurred her vision, but she simply blinked them away. She moved her mouth but was speechless. She couldn't have been able to do that, could she?  
  
The light was finally beginning to fade away and as soon as it did, the first sight Sekai saw was of herself. She lay on her stomach, unconscious. Her brother's body was gone as well as of any of the other men or her parents, dead or alive. The land around her smoked slightly and the fire had been absorbed into the blast. It was just a barren wasteland.  
  
'This was when I woke up all alone. And this was why the investigators never found my parents' or my brother's bodies. There were none. But why couldn't I remember this much of it?' she asked the voice.  
  
~Because you had released so much energy at once, your body couldn't handle it and you fell unconscious. The impact and pressure of it all made you lose parts of your memory.~  
  
Sekai saw the entire scene finally fade away into darkness. A tall man in a white cloak appeared in front of her as she still floated in her curled-up position.  
  
'Who are you?' she asked. 'Why did you make me remember all of this? And how do you know about it?' She felt that this man was the voice talking to her.  
  
He was silent for a while. Then, slowly, he lifted the hood of his cloak from his head and revealed himself. Sekai stared, her eyes widening. She had never expected him to be...  
  
************  
  
Well, there you go. I know, evil cliffhanger. But I love teasing for some reason. ^_^() I am sooo evil... But don't worry. You won't have to wait too long... hopefully. ^_^() Try to guess on who this new voice is. Boy, there sure are getting to be more and more voices... I'm starting to hear voices in my head, too, now... O.o Uh, I'll be going now. Later! ^_^ 


	19. The Past is Reawakened- Part Two

Yes, I am very late in updating. I know that. It's just that, well, I... didn't really feel like writing. ^_^() Plus, I've been working on a pic of my alter ego, Koneko, all weekend. Since my scanner's broken and I'm too impatient to wait for a new one, I decided to draw it straight from my brain to the computer screen. And I'm kinda cheap, what with using Windows Paint and all. But I'm trying to make up for the bad pixelization with shading. ^_^ Yep. I love to draw and color. Love to shade... Yep. I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry! Continue with the review responses and stories. I still have your attention? Oh, I'm glad! ^_^  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: Yeah! Let's look to the future! ^_^ Aw, I'm even more touched that you should trust me. It just chokes me up... It's both. How's that? When you can't decide, go for the middle. ^_^() Oh, I love your comments and would like more(not to be vain...)! Ack! Compliments!=^_^= (That's my blushing face...) Yep. He's okay... We shall defeat evil... things! Yeah... That's good. Well, can't always get the best... Yep! Oh, don't be. Not all plushies are bad... Like my Giraffe, Twinky. He's very nice. I'll introduce you to him sometime. ^_^ *** Er... Yeah... I kinda went on the dramatic side. It came from a nightmare of mine! Phew, that relieves me. ^_^ I don't want to scare away any friends. =^_^= He is. It's a fact by now. No way do I mind if I agree with you. ^_^ Nah, I don't think that'll happen... Things would certainly be going a whole lot better than if I was in charge. O.o Yep, I do. They put me to sleep for a while... Sleep good for me... ^_^ Hey, I've survived this long! And if I died, then I wouldn't be able to continue this fic, would I? O.o Then I surely mustn't die! Can't leave my friends hanging! *** =^_^= Thanx... I feel all bubbly again... Yeah. It just wouldn't have made sense to have him in it. True, but life isn't a perfect dream... Thank you! ^_^  
  
Masquerade: Thank you! ^_^ I've made this a sort of two-parter(I think) so your other questions will be answered eventually. Thanx, I'll try!  
  
Lilmissgoten: Hey, good guess! But you'll just have to read to find out. You never know... It could actually be her... You might not be wrong... ^_~ Well, hyperness isn't bad! You should have seen me at school today... Birds flew away at the sound of my screeching voice! But I'm glad you reviewed. Yeah, I know what you mean. ^_^ Me neither! O.o  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Oh! I'm so sorry! *hands you a tissue* I'll make it up to you somehow! Just don't be mad! I'm too sensitive to handle it... *starts to cry* Aw, I feel sad... *brightens up* Thankies! ^_^ I go through mood swings like that sometimes. *watches and blinks* O.o That's a big number...  
  
kyro: Thanx and sorry! It's like a reflex sometimes. I just can't help it. Oh, I am. I'm not so cruel as to stop completely. That'd drive ME insane. O.o Most? Look what cliffhangers have done to me... ^_^()  
  
Pen Dragon: Aw, man! That stinks! Stupid demon... Wow... But you saved your laptop! ^_^ Hang on tight! Let's see. If you fall up, then which way is down? 'Cause you're hanging from something and if you fall up, then wouldn't you be hanging up? So the ground would be up then and you'd be towards that. But then you'd be falling down and so the ground is up... And it's down... *gets confused* I... I don't know what I'm saying! I'm confused! *tries to figure out what she said*  
  
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: It is and it came from one of my regular nightmares! O.o Me, too, but don't get your hopes up... About that. I'm hoping to start that once Cell becomes perfect. Because, well, nobody could love him no matter what in his second form. Too stupid and ugly for a girl's taste... Maybe by chapter 20 or 21 I'm hoping! So sit tight! ^_^  
  
ElysianAmazon: Thanx! Ooh, pretty and shiny... *marvels over the sticker* Thanx again! *continues to stare at the shiny sticker...*  
  
LadyBuG: Welcome back! ^_^ Yep. And most definitely scarring and somewhat traumatizing. O.o All from my nightmares... Hey, that's okay! You'll find out next! ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine and that most likely will never change. Just Sekai, voices, her family, etc. are mine. You know that. ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Nineteen  
  
  
  
"So what do you say, Vegeta?"  
  
Cell had impatiently been waiting for Vegeta's response on letting him absorb Android 18. So far, his expression had remained blank and uninterested. Bad for Cell.  
  
Vegeta calmly placed his hand under his chin and stroked it as if in deep thought. In reality, he was just stalling to annoy Cell further. His decision had actually been made a long time ago. But it was just so amusing to see the giant insect squirm in uneasiness.  
  
Cell wasn't the only one getting caught in the suspense. Trunks floated between the two, also awaiting the verdict. He couldn't believe that the world's fate now rested in his father's hands. What he would decide would change the odds drastically. He knew that anything he would say would just go in one ear and out the other. So he kept quiet and waited.  
  
Finally, Vegeta raised his head in gesture of his decision. "Very well, Cell. Do as you wish. It won't matter anyways. Just remember that you owe me a worthy challenge."  
  
"No don't!" Trunks cried, but the warning was placed upon deaf ears.  
  
Cell did his best to hide the gleeful grin on his face. Instead, he smirked. "Don't worry, Vegeta. This will be a battle that will never be forgotten. I guarantee you that you will get the challenge you wish for and much more."  
  
"Hmph, words mean nothing unless acted upon," Vegeta crossed his arms.  
  
Cell smiled. 'Yes. I will have to prove to you what a grave mistake you just made. And I'll do that by knocking whatever little brains you have in you,' he thought. With that done, he began to descend to the ground below. Eighteen, Sixteen, nor Krillin knew that he had spotted them.  
  
'Ah, come to me now, Eighteen...' Cell thought, almost dreamily. But something shot forward and came in his path. He skidded in the air to a halt and faced his next opponent.  
  
Trunks floated in front of him with arms outstretched. "Stop right there! I'm not letting you get away that easily."  
  
Cell growled, clenching his fists. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to beat the boy from the future, he whipped his head around to Vegeta, who floated above and remained unmoving.  
  
"Vegeta! I thought we had a deal!" Cell yelled.  
  
"Trunks, let the bug have his way for now. Once he's complete, it'll be even more fun to kick his ass," Vegeta shouted demandingly.  
  
Trunks's eyes never wavered from Cell. "No, father! Don't you see? He's trying to trick you! He knows that your weakness is the thirst for a challenge. Don't let him fool you!"  
  
"Quiet! I have made my decision, and it is final. Now, let him pass and do whatever he wants in absorbing that android."  
  
"No! I won't let him be complete!" Trunks powered up and prepared to knock Cell's lights out. Cell backed up a bit but didn't really have a chance in defending himself.  
  
Before he could react, Trunks was knocked away by Vegeta. He was sent flying off into the horizon where the sun slowly sank from the power punch, courtesy of Vegeta.  
  
Cell blinked and released the breath he had been holding. He had thought he would have been squashed had not the Saiya-jin prince intervened.  
  
"Now go do your business and don't keep me waiting. Understand?" Vegeta said curtly with his back turned.  
  
"Of course. And I thank you, Vegeta." Cell silently thought, 'I thank you for being so stupid.' He grinned and continued to the ground.  
  
"Whatever." Vegeta shrugged and watched him go down. Things were slowly going into motion...  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Sekai continued to dream.  
  
At least she thought it was a dream.  
  
It certainly felt like one.  
  
The man in front of her slowly removed the hood of his cloak from his face, revealing himself. He turned out to be the one person whom Sekai had thought she'd known all her life.  
  
All her life as long as she'd known him. But she was no longer sure.  
  
Certainly it must be a hologram or something.  
  
A hologram...  
  
... Of her brother.  
  
Nuko.  
  
It couldn't be him.  
  
He wouldn't reopen old wounds and show her their past.  
  
And what was the purpose of showing her her power? It certainly didn't motivate her; it didn't make her stronger or more confident. It only hurt her and made her want to die.  
  
'No. It's some cruel person disguising himself as Nuko. My brother's gone and won't come back. And besides, his voice is completely different from Nuko's,' she thought, feeling thoroughly convinced about the man.  
  
He had read her thoughts.  
  
He proved that when he contradicted her.  
  
~There's no use in denying it. I am the brother you knew when you were so very young.~  
  
'No, you're not! You can't be!'  
  
~Why can't I? Because of my voice? That can be easily fixed.~  
  
*How's that?*  
  
Sekai's eyes widened and she could feel herself fall from her floating position. But then she was stopped. He was holding her hand. Not really grabbing it; he just held it. That was all that was seemingly needed to keep her from falling farther into the darkened abyss.  
  
*Need some help?*  
  
Sekai growled and yanked her hand away. She didn't care if she fell or not. She didn't want to touch the stranger in front of her.  
  
'Go away! Stay the hell away from me!'  
  
"Nuko" floated down to her level of ground calmly and faced her. *I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, you're the one who is keeping me confined in this pitiful void.*  
  
'What?' she blinked.  
  
*Ten years ago, our family was attacked by the political forces of the world for our land. You know, the land upon which we lived was rich with the various minerals and oil that most of the world takes for granted. Of course, since father owned the title deed to the forest land, they couldn't just take it from us. And when mother and father made it clear that they were not giving up our home, the forces, consumed by greed, took it the only way they could. Through assassination. They had no intention of killing us; you were only six and I, seventeen. We had no real power to stand up for ourselves. But they also had no intention of leaving behind witnesses. So, to protect their own lousy skins, they killed us all except for you. And if it weren't for your release of power, you would have been dead, too.*  
  
Sekai took all the new information in thoughtfully. At the time, much had gone by her because of her young age and mind. But now that she could get a view of just what had happened-- no matter how false-- maybe, just maybe, she could piece things together and come up with her own conclusion.  
  
'That's a lot of info, but it still doesn't explain how I could be confining you with me here,' she said skeptically.  
  
*I was getting to that.* "Nuko" crossed his arms and continued. *When you went through your power surge at the assassination, you were consumed with not only rage but with one thought that seemed to have not only a physical but a mental impact. At your age, your innocence made you even more powerful because your thoughts were pure and created out of love. You were consumed with the one wish to save my life and protect me from harm. Over time, I came to conclude that that thought might have joined my soul with yours.*  
  
'This is just too much. Why am I even listening to you?! You could be lying to me about everything for all I know!'  
  
*You may believe whatever you wish. But who else have you got to turn to for answers to the questions you've been searching for for so long?*  
  
He had her there. She kept silent. And he continued.  
  
*I also believe that the silver dagger that father gave you had something to do with it. It somehow allowed your power out to the fullest and, once it did that, grasped a hold of my soul and transferred it to your body through it. My body faded away, and I was trapped in your body and mind.*  
  
'But what does a dagger have to do with doing that to you? It's just a lifeless object,' she pointed out.  
  
"Nuko" shook his head. *I know that, Sekai-chan. I--*  
  
'Don't call me that.' She narrowed his eyes at him.  
  
Momentarily, a look of hurt passed over his face, but he quickly composed himself. *Very well. But what I'm trying to tell you is that maybe the dagger was not the source of your power but the key to unlock it. And if it did so before, then it surely can do it again.*  
  
'But before, why did you pretend to be someone else and cloak your real voice with the one you're using now? Why don't you talk with your own voice?' She pressed for answers.  
  
*Would you have believed it to be me even with my own voice?*  
  
Sekai was taken aback by the question. Of course she would believe it to be Nuko then! ... Wouldn't she? Then again, she probably would never have suspected anything of him having the ability to change his voice...  
  
'So now that I do know who you are, why don't you change to your regular voice?' She didn't fully believe him to be her brother, but he didn't need to know that.  
  
*I could. But it won't change anything.*  
  
~*See? It's easy as that.*~  
  
Sekai leaned forward slightly, hearing the voice so familiar to her. Even after all these years, she hadn't forgotten it. She could remember the things that voice said...  
  
***  
  
... Sekai-chan, be careful not to fall in. *splash* I warned you!...  
  
... Relax, it's only a little cut...  
  
... I can't right now, Sekai-chan. Mom wants me to do a few more chores. Maybe later we'll play...  
  
... I found you!...  
  
***  
  
Sekai breathed sharply out of her nose, feeling her eyes tear up. She sniffed and wiped her nose a little, looking at him. With his voice back, everything about him finally seemed to fit into place.  
  
'So... If you are who you say you are, and if you had that voice before, then you've been the one who's been pressing me to kill the humans. Why would you want the humans to die, "brother"?'  
  
"Nuko" bristled. The sarcastic emphasis on the last word had really stung him, but he brushed it off. ~*You should know after all I have told you. The humans are a disgraceful race. Instead of helping each other and working together, we hurt and kill each other. Instead of fighting for a better and more peaceful world, we are consumed by greed and material wealth and destroy for it. I hate myself for being human, so helpless to change my fate. But you, you have a power within you that is unlike any other human being on the entire planet. You're the chosen one by God to save this world. Your very name means 'world.'*~  
  
'Sure, some humans are bad, but they're human! They can't help their instincts. And not all humans are bad,' she defended. 'Like Ms. Bulma who aided me in my time of need,' she said.  
  
~*That woman is the daughter of the president of Capsule Corporation. The source of most of the technology being invented that endangers Earth.*~  
  
'But that's what makes humans so great! To be able to create great things! The world is continuously being revolutionalized and is advancing all the time. The world is getting stronger too.'  
  
~*'Create great things'? Like Cell? He is a creation of one of the great scientists of the world. And the world is getting stronger because of him?*~  
  
Sekai bit her lip. She hadn't wanted Cell to end up in this conversation. She still had many questions to ask and needed answers desperately. This would only complicate things further.  
  
'Well, Cell was created by a lunatic. You can't expect all humans to be pure good.'  
  
~*And the longer these humans live on, the more evil will grow and, one day, kill off the earth.*~  
  
Sekai sighed, frustrated. There was just no way to get through to him! He was totally shut off in his one loathing.  
  
'Now you're being greedy just like the humans. Wanting to wipe them all out.'  
  
~*Greedy?! I want the planet to be safe. That's not greed; that's sacrifice!*~  
  
Sekai floated over to him and light started to gather about her. 'No. Sacrifice is giving up what you crave, what you treasure, for someone or something else. No harm comes to anyone that way; it affects everyone for the better. Giving something up for the happiness of someone else is sacrifice. Hurting others for an excuse is greed.'  
  
~*Oh! And what about my death? Is that considered a 'sacrifice' for the sake of mankind? What good use has it been put to if it is? You don't know what it's like to have your very life stolen from you!*~  
  
Sekai closed her eyes and now knew for sure that this was her brother. No one else would be so open and honest with her this way. Opening her eyes, she walked to him and lightly hugged him. He froze.  
  
'I know that. I could never feel the full effect of dying unless experiencing it myself. And I know I couldn't understand the feelings you're going through about it. But, if you would let me, then I would learn to understand. You could enlighten me on the feelings I have no way of experiencing except through death,' she spoke softly through her mind. 'Please?'  
  
He couldn't answer her. He just stayed frozen in place, not responding. Sekai could only wait for what his next reaction would be...  
  
************  
  
Well, congratulations to Masquerade and ElysianAmazon for guessing correctly on the now not-so-mysterious voice. I only hope that it wasn't too obvious. I tend to spell things out sometimes... ^_^()  
  
Yes, I know I totally left out the other fighters in the end. But I just couldn't find a place to fit them in. And it's hard to switch scenes when they're all supposed to be happening at the same time. ^_^() I'll just bring 'em out again in the next chappie. I hope this chapter wasn't too bad, but I liked it. It actually had me choked up a bit! Right when she hugged him. BAM! The waterworks began. ^_^() I'm very sensitive...*sniff* Excuse me, I have something in my eye. Next chapter will be out in another few days hopefully. Bye! *runs off to get a tissue* 


	20. Heat Arises and Perfection is Achieved

Ah, boy, I am so late on this update. I don't know why, but I just haven't felt like writing. Is something wrong with me? It must be the SAT9 testing I'm going through all this week and half of next! ~.~ And probably because of my geography homework that I try to finish each night... If any of you receive a 'school work' or 'geography hw' away message from me, then you know what I'm talking about. I'm not trying to avoid anyone. But the good news is I finished my piccie of my alter ego! ^_^ Does anyone know how I can put it up on my bio? I've seen pictures on a few bios, but I just can't figure out how they do it. If anyone knows, please feel free to tell me in the reviews or e-mail me about it! It'd mean so much to me! Many thankies! ^_^ Now, enough about me and to the reviews!  
  
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SSJ4 Goku: Aw, I'm touched that you think so. ^_^ Ramblings? Hardly! They're more like poems of inspiration! Now, what I say... Those are ramblings. Just look at the paragraph above! O.o Yep. Well, at least I'm reassured now. Don't want to become a braggart. . Bleh, that'd be so bad... Thank you! =^_^= You'll be seeing it a lot as I get easily embarrassed. Yes, evil things, beware! Pepsi is good!! I'll show him to everyone! ^_^ *** Well, true, but are you swaying that a bit to my story? I don't deserve it! It's too good of an honor! Yep, it did. ^_^ I have nightmares almost every night. But they're not really nightmares... They don't really scare me. They... disturb me. ^_^() But that scares me then. Aw, they're okay! They give me ideas then! ^_^ Once again, your support leaves me indebted to you. Maybe... Very good! I'd say it could be... depends on your definition of 'perfect', I guess. *** Yep! Ooh... Thanx! If I surprised you, then I am truly honored. It reassures me that I'm doing things right...sort of. ^_^() Voices bad! O.o Sorry for the wait! *** Yeah, I guess. Doesn't that so stink? Mine's been with me for seven... messed up quite a while ago. Ah... Really? You'd do that for me? Hmm... First I'll try to get it up on my profile and if that doesn't work, I'll turn to you! How's that? ^_^ I just want other people who know me to see it too if they want. See you then! ^_^ I wrote too much again! Whoops...  
  
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Heh, really? Maybe it's him and maybe it's someone disguised as him... I'm getting other ideas now... Cheez poofs, huh? Well, that's perfectly normal compared to how I get ideas. O.o But that's a good observation! ^_^ Thanx!  
  
Masquerade: You know, you really show me things that I never even would have considered to notice. I read the last chapter I wrote again and I was like, "Hey, she's right!" I've actually had the idea of Nuko for a while and began to like him so I don't really want him to die. But I don't know if he will or won't in the end... Have I said too much? Oh, well. You'd notice things before I would anyways. ^_^ Thank you!  
  
lilmissgoten: Well, congrats if you did! ^_^ Hmm. I don't know. It'd cut the story short a bit. But you'll have to be a bit more patient. The romance is just going to begin! Ah, yes... skipping is so much faster though! ^_^ Try to bear with it. I'm sorry! If it makes you feel any better, I'm losing my mind(assuming I have one in the first place) trying to figure out what to make happen next. It was. ^_^ Me, too. It's just so... cute! Yeah, at least for now. You're gonna get more now. ^_^  
  
ElysianAmazon: Aw, thanx. Well, you won't have to wait so long now. The next chapter is here! ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thanx! I love that word now! ^_^ But not for the others. But still good for Cell! ^_^ Thankies! I will! *blinks at Cell* I think I know where I get some of my dose of insanity now... O.o  
  
kyro: Uh, really now? Okay then. Cheese? I like cheese! ^_^ *blinks at the two then smiles* Bye-bye! *waves the two finger wave and pokes herself in the eye* Ow! I'm halfway blind! Help! *runs away into a wall* I'm okay...  
  
Cloudcover: Oh, okay. Really? I must check on them! The falling back part... Is that good? Aw, that's okay, I guess. I'll get one eventually in my own way... Â¬.Â¬ (Gotcha. ^_~)  
  
devil's lil imp: 'Nother new person! Yay! *does her happy dance and DOESN'T trip for once* Wow, really surprised? I'm glad I have your attention! ^_^ And I'm happy you're enjoying this!  
  
LadyBuG: Yes, it was. ^_^ Aw, thank you. Really? It was. It just felt all warm and fuzzy in that moment. Thank you! I will try! ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ is property of Akira Toriyama. Not me. Otherwise I'd be rich and stuff without such wonderful friends like you! :( If that were to happen to me, then I'd gladly give up the title to be a humble fanfiction writer. ^_^ Being with you all is worth more than anything else to me. Oh, yeah. Sekai and other new characters whom I'm too lazy to name are mine as usual.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty  
  
  
  
"He's coming!"  
  
Krillin was the first to take note of Cell's approach towards them.  
  
"What?!" Eighteen cried. She looked to see Cell's bulky form landing closer to them. He surely looked like he knew where he was going. And he seemed to be going right to them.  
  
She growled in her frustration and misery. "That damn bastard! Why won't Vegeta stop him?!"  
  
"Cell has tricked him into letting him become perfect. In exchange for letting him achieve his perfection, he promised Vegeta a challenge against him," Sixteen stated.  
  
Krillin and Eighteen turned to the gentle android in shock. "But why?! Even Vegeta's not that dense to fall for that, is he?"  
  
"I don't know... Vegeta's done some pretty stupid things at times..." Krillin said quietly as if Vegeta might hear him. He rubbed a hand behind his head. Just the thought of Vegeta beating him to a pulp at the comment made him shudder in fear. "Like knocking Trunks away like that..." he thought back to the recent incident.  
  
"Eighteen, you must escape from here quickly. Cell has pinpointed your exact location," Sixteen warned, looking up at the monster approaching them.  
  
"I'm not leaving without you, Sixteen. I'm not about to abandon you," Eighteen said with determination.  
  
Krillin gritted his teeth as Cell finally landed a few meters from them. All heads turned to him, save for Vegeta who had been watching them the whole time, bored. Eighteen became scared and froze.  
  
"Hello, my dear Eighteen," Cell said gently with a slight bow. Eighteen growled at him in disgust, trying to hide her fear.  
  
"Please, get out of here now," Krillin whispered. "I'll distract him." Eighteen gasped at the little man, surprised at what he said. He shot off towards Cell before she could even take in another breath.  
  
'Oh, man, I must be real crazy! Then again, I have fallen for an android,' Krillin thought, quite panicky. He pulled back his fist in an attempt at a sucker punch and saw Cell's blue lips curve downwards in a frown. "Go now!" Krillin called as he let his fist fly.  
  
It never even touched him. Krillin cried out as Cell pulled back his own arm over his chest and brought it back to knock him in the shoulder. The monk was propelled to the large mountain that dominated the entire island. They could all feel his ki drop, indicating that he was unconscious.  
  
Eighteen's eyes widened and she gasped again at the sight before her. Sixteen's eyes lowered in sympathy for Krillin's bravery and kept silent. Vegeta remained waiting and impatient.  
  
"Cell, you're really trying my patience! Just get on with it!" he yelled.  
  
"Of course," was all Cell said. He was glad to obey the command and started to walk at a casual pace towards Eighteen. She became startled and tense, her fear mixing with her anger and sadness for the man who tried to help her and for her brother.  
  
'Damn you, Cell. You killed my brother and now want to do the same with me. Well, you won't get me so easily. I'm not giving up without a fight!' she thought.  
  
Cell could sense her uneasiness and smiled almost reassuringly. "Don't be afraid, Eighteen. Joining with me won't hurt at all. Just come to me and no harm will come to you."  
  
"Join with you? That's even worse than being tortured. What do you think I am? Stupid? No way would I join with you even if my life depended on it," she spat.  
  
Cell grinned. 'I couldn't have said it better myself,' he thought, laughing in his mind. "But my dear Eighteen, your life does depend on it." He was now only three feet away from the blonde android, and she reeled back a few steps.  
  
'What am I doing?' she thought. 'Running from him won't do me any good. I'll just have to attack him head on.' With her mind made up, she ran at him yelling. She would do this for Seventeen!  
  
Cell sighed. 'These people just never learn...' Honestly, he had not wanted to hurt her for reasons of his own but now she left him with no choice. He had to be quick in absorbing her.  
  
She punched and kicked at the bio-android as fast as lightning. However, Cell dodged them all by miles. No matter how hard she tried to change her fighting patterns, he was always one step ahead and anticipated each attack. Finally bored, Cell thrust his tail above his head, expanded the funnel tip, and brought it down over Eighteen's skull. She tried to grasp the rim of the funnel to stop herself from going farther in, but just couldn't get a hold of it in time as Cell's tail muscles pulled her into the darkness that was him.  
  
Sixteen could only watch helplessly as his friend was absorbed. In the condition he was in, he couldn't even stand up without a support of some sort. His brain had been too badly damaged to react in time to actions as well. Even as he watched, he could feel the wires in his cranium spark and crackle, shutting down some of the major components in his body. He only wished that he wasn't so injured so that he could save Eighteen.  
  
Vegeta watched silently as the bio-android swallowed the mechanical one whole. His eyes turned to his right where he could see something quickly approaching. He recognized the ki signature immediately.  
  
'About time that brat showed up...'  
  
In just a moment, Trunks reached his father's side, panting. He looked down at the scene playing before him and gasped in horror. He quickly reacted and flew down to stop the obviously greater trouble that was about to come. "No! Cell!" he growled. Powering up to his fullest, he saw a bright green light emit from Cell's body as Eighteen was finally absorbed into his being. As the light grew, so did great gusts of wind and rocks and pebbles. Trunks slowed himself a little to shield himself from the obstacles. He gazed over his arms at the light with Cell inside. He charged up a ki blast and shot it into the fire of energy.  
  
Cell didn't even notice the blast coming, nor did he care. He was finally going to be perfect! His lifelong dream and ambition was finally going to come true. All that was needed was a few more seconds and then the universe was his!  
  
The ki blast hit the energy dome around Cell but only bounced off at the same angle into the sky. Trunks gasped and charged up more, firing multiple blasts at the monster only to get the same results. He could only watch as Cell came closer and closer to his ultimate perfection.  
  
'No... It's too late. There's nothing more I can do now,' he thought.  
  
The fate of the world was nearly sealed now.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*No.*~  
  
He pushed her away and jumped back. Confusion lit his eyes along with fear and anger. He didn't know what to think.  
  
Sekai watched in pity as her brother drifted away from her. She wanted to help him, not hurt him. Why couldn't he accept her help?  
  
'Please, Nuko... Listen to me,' she reached a hand out to him.  
  
~*No. The humans are a menace. I will not take part in helping them. They don't deserve to live!*~ He shook his head furiously.  
  
'You're looking too much at the negative points of humans. We're not perfect, you know. We all have flaws. But we also have good points, too.'  
  
~*Like what?*~  
  
'We do what we can to aid people and animals in need. We do research and find cures to diseases which plague the earth. And some protect the earth from evil aliens,' she said, thinking back to the Z-senshi.  
  
~*All those things could have been prevented in the first place had it not been for humans!*~  
  
'You don't know that!' she corrected. He was becoming irrational and not thinking things through.  
  
~*And neither do you! For all we know, the humans could have been the cause of all the diseases of the world. They might be the reason all this evil is coming to Earth.*~  
  
She narrowed her eyes. 'Let's not tread on a topic we know nothing about, shall we?'  
  
He blinked at the dangerous look in her eyes and nodded slightly. ~*Fine then. No point in making things up for defense. That is what usually happens with ignorance.*~  
  
Sekai thought to herself silently, 'You should know.'  
  
'But please, brother, don't be like this. You're letting your anger cloud your judgment,' she spoke to him.  
  
~*My feelings towards the humans won't change, you know. I have been hurt too much to forgive so easily.*~  
  
'But holding a grudge for ten years is no way to solve a problem. It only worsens your character.' She tried to talk him out of making a big mistake.  
  
~*No. Everyday, I watch through your eyes how our race hurts each other continuously. It is like a cycle. Neverending.*~  
  
'Like the way you hurt me? With those headaches?' she inquired with slight scorn.  
  
He tried not to look affected. ~*Those were to test how resistent you were to pain. They were to help you in the upcoming battle. And they worked; each time, I had to use a stronger force to let it affect you.*~  
  
She growled. 'That's not the point! You hurt me just as the humans did! And you scold them? You're nothing but a hypocrite!'  
  
~*Quiet! I don't need to take this from you. No matter what anyone says, I will do whatever I can to wipe out the human race. They are my enemies.*~  
  
'Then I'm afraid I can no longer support you,' she said, closing her eyes. 'For the humans are the people I fight to protect.' She opened her eyes and looked at Nuko defiantly. 'Now get me out of this dream and don't talk to me until you come to your senses.'  
  
He looked angry at her for a moment but faded away and released her from the world of dreams and nightmares.  
  
But not before giving her a headache as a parting gift.  
  
  
  
She knew she was awake now.  
  
But she wouldn't open her eyes just yet. Not until the pain in her head dissipated.  
  
'Oh, what has happened to you, brother? You're so different, so irrational. What hate has changed you so much?' she thought in pity.  
  
Once the pain faded away, she opened her eyes and observed her surroundings. Since she was looking straight ahead at the sky, she concluded that she must be lying on the ground on her back. But why was the sky turning green?  
  
She bolted upright and immediately regretted it. A sharp, stinging pain coursed through her back and she placed a hand on the lower part of it. Seething slightly, she looked at the ground around her and noticed that she was sitting in a small crater just a little bigger than her own body.  
  
'Last time I remember, I was climbing that mountain. I guess I finally fell,' she thought. She groaned and rubbed her back gingerly. 'And hard.'  
  
As she rubbed the pain in her back away, she looked up at the mountain. Behind it, a bright green light shone like the light of the sun behind the horizon. Only the real sun had just setted and the rest of the sky was colored in splashes of yellow, orange, red and violet.  
  
'What the hell is going on?' she thought. 'Did I miss something very important?' She stretched her senses far and frowned, her brows knitting together. 'Oh, no... That's Cell I sense over there. Crap...'  
  
She slowly got to her feet and stared out at the view in worry. 'Something's happened. And I'm pretty sure it's something bad.' But Cell wasn't the only one she was worried about.  
  
'Damn it. How on Earth am I going to get there in time? There's no way that I can learn to fly in time. And I am not going for another test flight again,' she thought stubbornly. She wiped some sweat from her brow. Since she was so close to the forest and its canopy, the trapped heat was beginning to affect her. Although the temperature was lower with the sun gone down, it was still hard to bear. She pondered.  
  
Growling, she finally gave in and looked to the forest. 'Oh, what the hell! Either way, I'm screwed so why not deal with it?' she ran off along the side of the mountain as fast as she could to get to the action.  
  
'Somebody better have some ice ready for me... or else the fire is really going to start to burn!' she thought as she ran towards her destination and fought against the heat at the same time.  
  
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Whoo, I'm already getting hot just from writing that. And the summer's barely here! How will I stand it if I can't even handle reading and writing about it?? Oh, I'll think of something. But anyways, I'd say the romance will begin in the next chapter. Some of you have asked me where it is and, well, I don't know. ^_^() I'll just have to think up a good reaction for Sekai after she meets Perfect Cell. Oh, that would be a sight to see... Sorry that this chapter was kinda short. Like I said before, I haven't felt up to writing lately. Next update should be by this weekend if not earlier. I've got to focus on my SAT9 testing and homework this week so sorry for any inconvenience. Bye for now! ^_^ 


	21. Stupid Pride and Smelly Situations

Well, I'm a day late but oh, well. I got kinda held up with this chapter. Probably 'cause I had such a hard time writing the fight scenes. I'm not good at fight scenes... ^_^() Uh, this chapter may not really connect because I went on and off on it and forgot what I was writing before. And I was too lazy to look it over to see if it made any sense. ^_^() But I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it! ^_^  
  
Warnings: Weak attempts at humor. That is all. You have been warned.  
  
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ElysianAmazon: Oh, well. That's what I always think. ^_^ We think alike! And I will!  
  
Masquerade: Thankies. ^_^ It is gross, isn't it? It's just... ick! Thanx. And thank you for understanding. Yeah, and I am. Thanx. I will. And thank you! They're almost over too! ^_^  
  
SSJ4 Goku: I've got to catch up on your story... And Masq's and ElysianAmazon's and everyone else's... ~.~ I miss them! It happens to everyone. Yes, it should! *** Hmm? Really? Well, then, that's automatically ruled out since I have no money, let alone any to spare. ^_^() So I would like it if you could tell me of a site where I can post my art. Thank you for telling me! ^_^ *** No, don't die! Boy, the truth must hurt enough to kill! But I can't bear to lie to my friends! Hey, thank YOU! Really? And you're sure that it's never wrong? That exploding timer could have been turned off or something... Yeah. Me too! And Dr. Pepper too for me! ^_^ I had a soda while writing this chapter, but humor isn't my strongest suit so it's just weird. All hail the caffeinated soda!! =^_^= Now I'll die of embarrassment. But that is true about any work that has effort put into it. Very often. Did I bother you with that bit of info? I'm sorry. Just got carried away. Aw, thanx! Yeah, they should have a sleep commercial with that slogan... Your slogan! You'll be rich and famous with it! (Though you're already pretty famous with me. ^_^) Wow, really? But I think that'll be next chapter... ~.~ Sorry. I just keep holding the encounter off for some reason. *** Really? Thanx, but I still feel like I'm letting the readers down with the wait. Must be something about me... *** Yep. Yeah! We shall fight! You have a site? Where? Why didn't anyone tell me? Does no one like me enough to tell me? I want to know! I would be honored to have you host my art! ^_^ (Keep going! I love it all!) *** Yeah, but I just couldn't think of it to go any other way. I'm not clever enough to figure out a loophole to his perfection. And I really like Eighteen too. Yep! I'm working on that... Thanx for the vote of confidence! And my rambling has betrayed ME! Eee...  
  
lilmissgoten: Yep, he is. I'm working on her reaction. Next chapter most likely. Good question. I thought, "Hey, Sekai means 'world' so why not name a girl who will help in deciding the fate of the 'world'? Just came up like that. ^_^ And Sekai is a pretty name, too, so... yeah. Me, too! Ehehe. ^_^() Yep. Be afraid of my romanticism! Yep. It is. Uh... Whatever floats your boat! ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thanx! I think he did too. 'Cause he's really fooling me if he didn't... Oh, why would I do anything to the GREAT Cell?? *looks seemingly innocent* Â¬.Â¬ Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ^___^  
  
Rene: It's okay. Welcome back though! ^_^ Aw, it's not that bad. Not as bad as mine. ^_^() Thanx for the support. Everyone's so nice and I feel bad about leaving them hanging and... yeah. Here it is! ^_^  
  
kyro: I'm working on it... He is! Maybe... *watches* O.O() Okay then... strong person... Here is the next time! ^_^  
  
Pen Dragon: Okay. I believe you. ^_^ That's a cool name... Good for you! ^_^ That is a good idea... Be careful!  
  
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Thank you! Well, he just had been angry so long about what happened to him that it just built up over the years. And since no one was there to tell him that it was wrong to think so hatefully, his beliefs built a strong barrier around him from all reason. Kinda like when you're mad at a time and refuse to listen to anyone about anything. But Nuko had no one to lead him on the right path and the evil took over his heart. Am I making any sense? Sorry for rambling again. I got carried away once more... ~.~ And we aren't. He just can't see that anymore.  
  
Raija Darknight: I believe you are another new person to me! Hello and welcome! ^_^ Well, you certainly look very joyous... And that makes me happy! ^___^  
  
O2: Oh, hi! After quite a while! That's okay. (Oh, I know how that feels...) Oh, I don't know about that... But it must be good, I guess. I don't know. ^_^() Yay! DBZ! ^_^ Yeah, last time you reviewed, I checked for any works by you but when I searched for you, ff.net said there were no records found on your pen name. But, then again, ff.net was kinda messed up at the time. And after that, I just... forgot. ^_^() Sorry. But I'll look into it again. See if it works this time. Demanding? Not at all! It just reveals me to more wonderful works! ^_^ This is hardly rambling compared to what I drivel on about. So don't worry! ^_^ *** Lemon? O.O Er, no way! I'd better make a note of that at the bottom of this chapter to say that to everyone else too...  
  
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Disclaimer: Same as last time. And the time before. And the time before. And the time before that. And the time bef... Oh, you get it. I'm not going to say it again. Surely if you've read this far, then you know what I do and do not own. If you've ignored all the previous disclaimers, then you'll probably ignore this one, too. So... yeah. ^_^  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty-one  
  
  
  
"Aw, crap. This cannot be happening..."  
  
Sekai jumped up and tried again for about the fiftieth time to reach the edge of the huge pit she had carelessly fallen into. She had focused so much on reaching her destination that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. So much that she hadn't even seen such a big hole until she actually fell in.  
  
"This sucks!" she cried as she jumped up and, again, missed the edge by a mile. She felt like a caged rat or something. And that green light? Well, it had gone and died away along with Sekai's hopes of ever catching up to it. "How could I be so freaking stupid?!" She smacked herself in the forehead.  
  
Finally realizing that hopping up and down trying to catch ahold of the edge over and over again wouldn't work no matter how many times she tried, she thought upon a different approach. All around her the walls of rock around her stood about ten feet above her own height of five feet three inches, making it fifteen feet three inches. No footholds seemed to be visible to her eye; it was all just a sloping, smooth surface. She couldn't open her air bike or car, either; the space was too small with only enough to fit about three other people besides herself. Just thinking about it made her clausterphobic.  
  
"I have got to get out of here!" she screamed, pulling at the ends of her hair and stomping her feet. She sighed and just lunged for the rock wall, climbing as fast as she could and... slid back down as her fingernails scraped into the surface futily, feeling them lift as they were pulled against the flesh by the rock.  
  
(A/N: That really hurts. I should know... ~.~)  
  
As she slid down onto her rear, Sekai glared at the wall and furiously tried again. It looked as if she was climbing very fast, but she wasn't moving at all thanks to gravity. She grabbed ahold of a small stone and ended up pulling it straright out of the wall and having it whack her right on the top of her head. She fell back with a thud, crying out.  
  
"Stupid pit!" she yelled at the wall, rubbing her head. She had to think of a way out before it was too late...  
  
  
  
  
  
With the others...  
  
"Ahh..."  
  
He could feel the power coarse through his veins as he stood. He had finally done it! After so many years of waiting and tried patience, he'd done it! He was perfect.  
  
'Yes, wonderful... And soon, the universe will be mine for the taking. It will all be destroyed by my hands!' Cell thought.  
  
He flexed his muscles a bit; he stretched, took a few punches, cracked his neck, the usual. He could feel eyes staring at him but simply ignored it all. Right now, all he wanted to do was test his newfound strength and power.  
  
"No, he did it..." Trunks stared with open mouth at Cell as he himself floated several meters up in the air. He so wished that this was all a bad dream that he'd wake up to at any moment. That it wasn't real or was a joke. Yet it continued on unlike any dream or jest and felt terrifyingly real.  
  
Vegeta didn't look impressed at all. Indeed, he thought that Cell's new look was all that was new and that no new challenge would arise for him. He didn't even try sensing for the new level of power Cell had ascended as he underestimated him. Then again, Vegeta never did estimate enemies' power levels too accurately.  
  
"Well, it's about time! I hate being kept waiting," he said arrogantly.  
  
No response came from Cell. He just continued with what he was doing.  
  
Vegeta frowned. Nobody ignored him like that! Nobody dared to ignore him without considering the consequences!  
  
He growled and lowered down from his high position in the air a little. Trunks took a glance at him out of the corner of his eye.  
  
'Doesn't he see just what he's done? Can't he realize just how powerful and dangerous Cell has especially become now?' he thought. He himself could feel the great power Cell slowly began to reveal bit by bit. And it already was too much to comprehend.  
  
Cell finally glanced at the two Saiya-jins above and smiled slightly. 'How foolish they are to stay. But it's convenient for me. Now I don't have to go on a wild Saiya-jin chase,' he thought wickedly.  
  
Trunks stifled a gasp at feeling a small surge of power emit from Cell. It had been quick but not so much as to miss. He looked to Vegeta to see if he noticed as well.  
  
He didn't appear to have and if he did, then he didn't look fazed at all. In fact, his expression remained bored and restless.  
  
"So, Cell. Are you ready to finally face me? I hope so because, this time, I'm not letting you get off the hook so easily!" he yelled.  
  
Cell observed the hot-headed Saiya-jin calmly. "I am quite ready. But the question is: Are you?"  
  
Vegeta bristled a bit in annoyance. "Of course I'm ready! I wasn't the one running away. What kind of a stupid question is that?"  
  
"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were still up to the challenge. I wouldn't want to just humor you; that would take the fun out of it," he replied.  
  
Vegeta nearly blew his top. How dare he insult him! Nobody did that, especially not some bug. They wouldn't live to tell about it.  
  
Trunks immediately took notice of his father's rising fury. He knew that if Vegeta got angry, then he would fight blindly and poorly; that would seal his fate.  
  
"Please, father, don't let his words get to you. He's trying to anger you so that you won't fight so well," he tried to get through to him. No such luck.  
  
"Quiet! I'm going to teach that insect just what a mistake it is to mess with a Saiya-jin prince!" With that, Vegeta blasted down to the ground, right in front of Cell.  
  
His magenta eyes followed the Saiya-jin's path to the site before him. 'Strange, sometimes, that his cells are in me. At least I don't have his stupidity. But I'd better finish this quickly. I still have some other business to attend to...' he thought as his eyes wavered to the side towards the mountain.  
  
"Now, Cell, you will regret ever insulting me. I will make you beg for my forgiveness! Do you understand?"  
  
Cell blinked back at Vegeta. "I'm sorry. Were you saying something?"  
  
The vein in Vegeta's forehead began to pop out in his rage. Not only that but it looked as if his eyes were going to fall out of their sockets at any given moment. In other words, Vegeta was mad.  
  
"Don't mock me, insect!" He lunged at Cell.  
  
"No! Father, don't!" Trunks cried, too late.  
  
His fist connected with nothing. Unless air counts. Vegeta gasped quietly and stared at the empty space. Focusing, he whipped around to see Cell waiting behind him with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He looked disturbingly like Vegeta then when he knew the battle was won.  
  
Vegeta growled again and went to land another punch. Yet Cell simply fazed out of range again with his incredible speed. The Saiya-jin kept trying for a while and got frustrated. The bug was toying with him!  
  
"Stand still!" he yelled, missing a kick by miles. He could hear Cell laughing quietly at him, and that further fueled his anger. He charged up a ki blast and fired it, causing a whirlwind of dust and dirt to form and block off the sight of Cell.  
  
But the silhouette of the monster came back to mock him. It didn't look like it harmed him at all.  
  
'I'll have to charge up more energy,' Vegeta thought. He flew up into the air and raised his arms into the air, gathering energy.  
  
Cell watched, amused. 'Always count on Vegeta for the comic relief,' he grinned.  
  
"Final Flash!" The beam of light fired at Cell, but he didn't feel the need to block or dodge it...  
  
  
  
  
  
"God, I really need a shower..."  
  
Sekai wrinkled her nose as she caught the odor of her body. Although, in the next moment, she forgot all about it as a bright light shone over the horizon lighting up the slowly darkening sky.  
  
(A/N again: Time goes very, very slow in this fic...)  
  
"What the hell...?" Sekai stood up from her place at the bottom of the pit and hopped up and down, catching glances of the light brighter at the base of her view. "What is going on?! What am I missing?!" she screamed. In another attempt to get out of the little hellhole she was in, she jumped and ran along the side of the rock wall. Surprisingly, this time, she managed to grab a hold of the forest floor above. She nearly burst into tears of joy. She would get out!  
  
Yet fate must have decided to play with her and whatever foundation she had gotten a hold of ripped right off and joined the pit with Sekai.  
  
"Why does this happen to me?!" she cried. She sat on the ground cross- legged with her arms resting on her knees and her head rested on the backs of her hands, pressing into her cheeks and giving her a chubby-faced look. She pouted, "I'm missing all the freaking action while the world's getting destroyed. At least Nuko isn't bugging me again..." She stared up at the sky. The light was fading and returned the sky to it's darkening bluish- orange color. 'Soon, it'll be too dark to do anything. And who knows what critters come out in here at night...' She shuddered. Today just hadn't been her day.  
  
  
  
  
  
Vegeta panted slightly, his hands still extended in their blasting formation. He was sure that that Final Flash had done some, if not much, damage to Cell. Though, nothing could be determined of Cell's state as the dust was still clearing around the site where he was.  
  
The dust cleared, but Cell was nowhere in sight. Vegeta became slightly suspicious. 'It could have destroyed him, but even he isn't so stupid to stay and find out if he could survive it. He must have flown off somewhere...' His eyes searched for any large, green object.  
  
"Looking for me?"  
  
Vegeta refrained from whipping around like last time. He didn't want the bio-android to know that he had actually surprised him. So he turned around slowly and almost calmly, facing him. Then he smirked.  
  
"I should have known that you'd run from a blast, no matter how big or small," Vegeta sounded confident.  
  
Cell was totally unaffected. "Run? Hardly. I may have your cells, Vegeta, but not so many as to make me completely like you."  
  
Vegeta's left eye twitched and he gritted his teeth. Trunks had been watching the whole time and wanted to help his father but knew that the proud Saiya-jin prince would never accept it. And he'd also never accept him then.  
  
'Please, father. Come to your senses before it's too late...' he prayed.  
  
Vegeta seethed silently. "Why don't you cut with the big words and back them up?" He was really asking for it, but he didn't think about it.  
  
"Very well, then. I was getting rather bored anyways," Cell replied. He instantly fazed away out of sight and appeared behind Vegeta before he could react. Not giving the Saiya-jin any time to retaliate, he slammed his elbow sharply into his back. Vegeta could do nothing except get knocked down by the force of the blow and impact into the ground.  
  
"Father!" Trunks just couldn't stand to see his father get beaten up. Yet his desire to abide by his father's wish to let him fight and not interfere burned into his mind as well. But the price of obeying Vegeta would surely end the man's life.  
  
Cell landed by Vegeta's fallen body and watched as the Saiya-jin prince shakily got to his feet and turned to face him. He glared murderously at the monster and powered up even further in his anger. Cell stared, bored again.  
  
'This is taking too long. I'd rather be observing that human girl's behavior right now. I'll just wipe him out now...' he thought, ready to place the final blow through Vegeta's skull...  
  
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*gasp* What will Cell do? Is he really going to bash Vegeta's head in? Will Sekai ever get out of that stinking pit? Will my horrible attempt at humor continue on? Er... I don't know. O.o  
  
Well, next chapter Sekai and Cell will meet. I promise. I know I said it'd be in this chapter, but I didn't feel like writing after I stopped where I did. Not that I didn't enjoy writing it! ^_^ But next chapter. Yeah... Next chapter...  
  
And a note to everyone out there who care: This fic will not turn into a lemon. O2 brought up that question and I had to tell everyone. It's not that I don't like lemons, but, well... I can barely handle reading them. How do you think I'll deal with writing them? O.o Just a few lemons I can bear like ElysianAmazon's and because they're not all that bad. ^_^ Some of you may be disappointed and some of you may be relieved, but a lemon for this fic is just out of the question.  
  
That's all! SAT9 testing is almost over for me so next update may be pretty soon. So until then... Bye! ^_^ 


	22. EVIL Humiliation!

Eep! I am so late on this! I'm sorry! I hadn't expected this update to be so late, but the world has been against me all week. First, the SAT9's ended, then preparations for finals began, and then it started raining and thundering. The thunder and lightning scared me and I was forced to take shelter in my room(which doesn't have a computer ~.~). ^_^() I also have a geometry test to study for and take tomorrow... But it just hurts my head... Can you believe that I haven't gone online in over a week? O.o Something's wrong with me! I love the internet! I just cannot stay away from it! Eh... Sorry about that little moment. ^_^ Oh, well. C'est la vie. Anyways, on to the review responses.  
  
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ElysianAmazon: Thanx. ^_^ That's how I would react, too. I'd probably break whatever's left of my nails if I did that. Owie... Wait no more! Hey, I'm just stating the truth. Your fics aren't just about the lemons; they have PLOT. And that's really important to me in a fic. ^_^ The prittiness never ceases to amaze me...  
  
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Uh-huh! They do! Yeah, just the way she was brought up. But she'll be showing a whole different side to herself in this chapter... I will!  
  
Masquerade: Aw, thank you. =^_^= Yeah, some bad luck. Here it is! After so long!  
  
lilmissgoten: Yeah, and I don't think it's anywhere near the end... It'll probably be like Masq's fic, Silent Prince. But this one will go on and on and on... like those Energizer batteries... Ooh, good luck. (But now it's two weeks left, right?) Yep. O.o Ahh... That's creepy. Kinda like one of my many nightmares... Yes, he is! Finally! ^_^ Hey, violence is cool! As long as it's not aimed at me... ^_^ Thanx!  
  
SSJ4 Goku: I am so far behind on stories... I just can't read and review them all at once. ^_^() Hey, take your time! No problem at all (especially for me ^_^()). ~.~ Nothing's getting to be free anymore... Yeah. I'd really like to visit this site of yours. ^_^ Hey, don't be hard on yourself! I don't think I could ever start a site, let alone manage one. Really? You think? *** Yes! Don't die! But isn't it? ^_^ Aww... =^_^= Poor microwave... All right! ^_^ Yay! Ehehe... Not really. ^_^() But I'm working on it! Well, who better to turn to than you? I don't deserve so much... (Ah, you make me blush!) It would be. Simple is good. You don't have to think so much on simple things. They just pop up and make sense. ^_^ I like simple things... Guilty? Whatever for? You're welcome! Sorry for this extra-long wait, but it's here now! No way... *** *eye twitches at scanner companies* *** Yeah, but then again, I wouldn't be able to think up a clever and technical loophole... Nah, they're not for me... Yeah, something about them, but I don't know what exactly. True; and some people don't like to read stories with lemons in them. A lemon in this would probably spoil their enjoyment of the story. *** Keyword: Maybe. But with Vegeta, that never seems to work. ^_^() Well, who really does? It'd be kinda boring... PRETZELS! I love pretzels! ^_^ Mm-hmm. Yeah, he really shows his Vegeta side when he's perfect (definitely). Maybe because he's so confident because of his achievement. Top-notch? Mine? Uh, are you talking to me? Action scenes are my second worst in writing next to humor. She will... but it won't be easy for her, I guarantee it. She is. But the question is how tough? ^_~ I tried. Now it's up to luck with the grading of it. My work for it is done. Of course I enjoy your comments and opinions. They're not really ramblings to me... *** I haven't! I didn't die! (No matter how much it looked like it from my absence...)  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thankies! ^_^ Well, he's gloating rather much... But I'm happy still! ^_^ Thanx again!  
  
kyro: No, he didn't... But that's him. Me, too... That'd be so embarrassing... Looking all helpless like a hamster in a cage... Later!  
  
Raija Darknight: O.o Umm... I don't know! I forgot! Read the chapter 'cause I have a short-term memory. ^_^() Hehe, yep, that's him...  
  
Pen Dragon: Yay! You're back! ^_^ Ooh, that sounds really technical... Heh, get out the heavy artillery. ^_^ Made by WHO? O.O HIM? Er, goodbye, my friend. (Note to all: Always check where the product is made before buying it.)  
  
Red Ribbon no Pink Technician: Well, hello! Ah, well, thank you for reviewing! I appreciate it. ^_^ Thanx. He didn't. He had already died and had assimilated with Sekai's body, thanx to her powers. So really, everything was destroyed. He is human as well, but he denies it now because he feels betrayed by them. He's really been brainwashed by hate. ^_^ I hope that made sense. If you have any more questions, just ask. I'm happy to help in any situation. ^_^ I'll try! (Cool title. ^_^() *sigh* They just never leave us people alone...)  
  
O2: Aw, sorry. It's coming. I'm not sure if this chapter is considered to have romance or not. *shrugs* Guess it's kinda like flirting... Thank you. ^_^ Ohhhh... Okay! ^_^ I'll give it a shot. Oh, it's not really a pain... Just a bit more to do for a lazy person like me. ^_^() It's here! Happy reading! Hmm, not a bad idea... I'll try for it, but a lot of the chapters (like 99% of them) are spontaneously written so they might not stick to the list. But I'll keep it in mind. Thanx for the idea. ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: DBZ and characters are not mine. Everything else is.  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty-Two  
  
  
  
Vegeta turned around just in time to see a pair of fists clench together and land painfully on the top of his head. He couldn't even cry out; it was so quick and hard. His eyes literally bugged about half an inch out of his head and, right after, his body rocketed towards the ground below.  
  
"Father!" Trunks cried, swooping down to aid his fallen father. Cell simply watched for a moment before deciding to take off. His work was done here.  
  
"Hmph, I've got much better things to see to than this," he grumbled, shooting off without passing a second glance to the two Saiya-jins.  
  
Trunks stared off and debated whether to go after Cell or stay behind and check up on his father. He took the latter choice and landed by Vegeta, checking on his vital signs. He would only need a moment to inspect him, and then he would go after Cell.  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief. Vegeta was alive, all right; he was just unconscious. Yet his ki was too far low to sense easily, and that worried Trunks. His head shot up to feel another ki source. It was much weaker than Cell's so he wasn't so stressed about it. He strained his eyes to see who it was and would have grinned had it not been for the current situation.  
  
"Hey, what happened?" Krillin grunted out. He held his side in pain and carefully floated down to Trunks's side. He had a few scratches and bruises but otherwise appeared fine.  
  
"Hey, Krillin. Glad to see you alive. A lot has happened while you were out," Trunks's eyes dimmed slightly. "Cell became perfect."  
  
Krillin lowered his head. "I should have known. No way could Cell's power have increased so much unless he became perfect. So Android 18 is..." he trailed off, a sad look crossing his features.  
  
Trunks didn't see the hidden meaning behind Krillin's expression. "Yeah, he got her."  
  
Krillin sighed. "Well, where is he now?"  
  
"He went off beyond the mountain somewhere. I was going to go after him, but I chose to check up on my father first. And then you came," Trunks explained.  
  
"He just left? Without even seeing if he finished off Vegeta?" The monk looked surprised.  
  
"Yeah, it confuses me, too. I mean, what could possibly make him just leave so carelessly?" Trunks wondered.  
  
"Well, whatever it was, we've got it to thank. Otherwise, Vegeta would be a goner," Krillin said.  
  
"Yeah, can you go on and fight or do you have to go back to Kami's Lookout for a rest?"  
  
"I think, in any case, I'd better stay behind. Anyways, I'd just get in the way of things. But are you going to be okay alone? Once you find Cell, anything can happen, you know," Krillin asked, concerned.  
  
"Yeah, you just go on. I'll be fine. You just make sure to get back safely, okay?" Trunks reassured.  
  
Krillin looked unsure but agreed nonetheless. "Okay, if you think so." He began to float up into the air to leave. "But, Trunks, I've been wondering. You haven't been fighting at your best. I know you've got much more power hidden within you."  
  
Trunks blinked, surprised at Krillin's revelation.  
  
"Yeah, I know. But what's the deal? What are you waiting for?"  
  
"I couldn't release my power before. My father would never forgive me for it," Trunks bowed his head. "He would never accept the fact that his son, a half- Saiya-jin, had ascended beyond his own power. So I just stayed back and let my father have his moment to shine."  
  
"But Trunks, you've got to let out your power and fight. The planet's fate depends on it."  
  
"Now that my father isn't able to see it, I will. I just couldn't show him my power before. And I won't show it to him. Not as long as he isn't ready to accept it," Trunks shook his head.  
  
"Well, okay. But just face Cell and fight him at your best. You just may be our only chance if Goku doesn't show up," Krillin advised.  
  
The Saiya-jin nodded. "I'll give it a shot. But I don't think I'll be needed once he does arrive."  
  
"Hey, have some confidence. Goku is a great fighter, but he's not the only one. Give yourself a chance."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Good luck, man. And hold up against Cell," Krillin waved and flew off in the direction of Kami's Lookout.  
  
"Bye," Trunks said. He turned to the large mountain before him and his expression became stern. 'Now it's time, Cell. No more running away...' Trunks flew up and after Cell's form that had long gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
CLACK! CLACK!  
  
Sekai aimlessly tossed pebbles at the rock wall. For the past ten minutes, she had tried scratching and climbing her way up the walls of the pit until her fingers bled. Digging in handholds and footholds didn't work; the rock was too thick and rough for her brittle fingernails. Even her silver dagger was worn down to the sharpness of a butterknife from constant scraping into the wall. Now she sat on the soil floor, trying to think up a way to get out.  
  
However, her mind wasn't on any plans at the moment. She just kept thinking about what was happening on the other side of the mountain. She was missing too much, that much she knew for sure.  
  
"Huh?" Sekai thought she felt a large power up on the higher ground behind her. She got up and backed to the opposite wall as far as she could to get a possible view of whatever she sensed. But just as quickly as the ki had come, it went.  
  
She blinked. "Maybe it was just my imagination..." she murmured. Then she heard what sounded like a squeak. A very peculiar squeak.  
  
'Does some squirrel have tonsilitis or something?' she quirked an eyebrow. She heard the squeak again, and then again and again. It sounded like it was getting closer and closer to the pit.  
  
'Great. Another victim to join me?' She stretched her senses to feel out what it was. She became suspicious. Whatever it was was trying to hide its ki. 'That's no ki and no friend would try to hide his ki from me...' Her pupils widened a little in anxiety and she lowered her body to the ground a bit.  
  
She caught the sight of something green. More precisely, a green head crest. A green headcrest with dark green spots.  
  
'Oh, God, no...' she thought in dread. 'Not him. Not while I'm stuck here.'  
  
"Well, what do we have here?"  
  
'Hey, wait a minute...' Sekai finally got a view of him towering above her from the high forest floor. Her eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of him. What had happened to him?!  
  
Cell frowned slightly as moments passed and Sekai just stared at him from her low viewpoint with her mouth hanging open. She just stood there, not even blinking.  
  
"Well, don't you have anything to say?!" Cell growled, fed up with the silence.  
  
"Did you just go through puberty?!"  
  
"What?!" Cell literally fumed. How dare such an insignificant being say something so rude to him!  
  
"Well, you do look different and your voice is much smoother..." Sekai trailed off and gave an expression that clearly stated, "I'm serious. Answer my question." Cell cleared his throat and tried to calm down. No sense in blowing up and wasting his breath on her.  
  
"Well, I suppose I should have expected a similar answer from an insane, hyperactive child," he blandly said.  
  
The first two adjectives went by her, but the last caught her attention. "Hey! I am not a child! I'm sixteen years old. Anyways, you're one to talk. You just went through puberty," Sekai put her hands on her hips and wished she could just fly out and strangle him. Yet one thought hung in the back of her mind. 'At least he's not as ugly as he was before. Now his face doesn't make me want to puke; it makes me want to gag, though. But not puke.'  
  
A vein began to throb on Cell's head crest. "I did not go through puberty! I became perfect!"  
  
"Perfect?" Sekai blinked.  
  
"Yes, but I suppose you need a better look to see that. Let me help you out," he grinned and reached into the pit for her before she could object. He easily grabbed her by her head and pulled her out while hanging on to her head and yanking on strands of her hair.  
  
"Hey! Ow! That hurts! Put me down!" she yelled, hanging on to his arm so her hair wouldn't be pulled so hard.  
  
"As you wish," he said and let go of her. She fell flat on to her face in the soil and her face reddened in humiliation. He just tossed her around like she was a doll!  
  
She pushed herself up on to her hands and knees, facing away from Cell, and shook her head and hair clear of the dirt and soil. She attempted to wipe her face clean but only made it worse by smudging the dirt around. She breathed in and out slowly to drain the anger out of her system. Anger would only cloud her judgment and, with Cell, that was something she just couldn't afford.  
  
"Oh, don't tell me the little girl is going to cry now," Cell mocked.  
  
Sekai whipped her head around to glare at him from her place on the ground. Cell only smirked at the sight of her. Her normally bright, clean green hair was now dirty and had a few leaves sticking out, leaves she had most likely failed to notice after she fell into the pit. Not only that but her face was nearly completely smudged with soil and dirt, along with her hands. He vaguely noticed some dry blood at the ends of her fingernails and wondered where they could have possibly come from. Yet overall, her appearance was quite amusing.  
  
"You would make a good tree," he joked.  
  
Sekai blinked, confused for a moment at what he was talking about, then looked at herself and understood. She gritted her teeth and her face reddened again. She immediately shot to her feet and yelled a retort at him.  
  
"Well, at least I don't look like a disgusting insect mutated in an experiment gone wrong!"  
  
"Be careful, little Sekai. You don't know who you're dealing with," he said, emphasizing the word 'little'.  
  
She growled. "I am not little!"  
  
Cell was very much amused with the furious teenager. "Okay, then. Is tiny better?"  
  
"Shut up! Why are you here anyways? To kill me? Then get it over with! I don't have to take this crap!"  
  
Cell chuckled. "Well, I was going to, but this is much more amusing. I think I'll take the time to see what things actually press your buttons and make you tick."  
  
"Oh, so now I'm a little remote-controlled toy, am I? And what if I don't agree to this? What are you going to do? Squash me?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
He let the last question slide by and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "You have no choice in the matter. Just as you never had a choice in any previous matters. Whatever I say goes."  
  
"Oh, well, excuse me, your highness. I guess you expect me to follow your every command and bow to you, huh?" She clasped her hands together to her chest and put on an adoring face. " I'll go, 'Oh, Great Cell-sama, I worship the very ground you walk on and the very sky you fly through. What may I do to please you today?'" She dropped her hands down. "Ha! Yeah, right!" She was too tired and stressed to care about her actions now. Yet she knew that with each remark at Cell, her life was getting a little shorter.  
  
Cell narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step towards her. Sekai stood her ground. She wasn't going to back down now; not when she had Cell silent. He stood right in front of her and she had to crane her neck upwards just to look him in the face. 'Damn, he's tall!'  
  
"Do you know something?" he said, his face getting closer and closer to her own.  
  
"What?" she growled, slightly nervous at his close proximity.  
  
His face stopped nearly inches from her face as he bent to her eye level. Then he grinned. "Your pants snagged on to the side of that pit and ripped nearly completely off."  
  
A look of horror crossed Sekai's features and she looked down to see that, indeed, only a few rags hung around her waist revealing her black polka- dotted underwear and all but the completely unmentionables. She had been so absorbed in saving her hair from being yanked out that she failed to notice everything else.  
  
"Eep!" Her face turned twenty shades of red in two seconds flat. She hunched over and fruitlessly attempted to cover herself up as Cell laughed out loud at her. To make things worse, another guest showed up.  
  
"Cell! It's time for..." Trunks trailed off, staring at the sight of Cell laughing. Then he saw what Cell was laughing at and blushed, turning away.  
  
Sekai all but burst into tears. "I hate you!" she cried and ran off into the terribly hot wilderness as fast as she could.  
  
Cell merely continued to chuckle. And Trunks? He just kept looking away.  
  
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Well, like I promised, Sekai and Perfect Cell met for the first time! But they kinda got off on the wrong foot again...  
  
Oh, I am so mean to Sekai! How could I do that? I've been so evil lately. First, I delay this fic and then I humiliate poor Sekai. She's got enough to worry about and this just makes things worse for her. But I wanted a humorous encounter between Perfect Cell and Sekai so, hopefully, this brought a few laughs or even cracked a smile. I'm working on my humor...  
  
And the voice wasn't in this chapter! *gasp* He's just mad right now... still...  
  
And Krillin's back! He came back and then left. Um, yeah... Just wanted to say that. I didn't forget about him. No, I didn't... Â¬.Â¬  
  
Again, sorry for the delay. But next chapter doesn't look to come any sooner as of yet. The schoolwork is piling up for me with the end of the school year coming. I only have about a month of school left and then it's SUMMER BREAK!! ^_^ But I should be able to update by this weekend, with it being Memorial weekend and all. So until then... Bye! ^_^  
  
BTW, does anyone know how I can change font to italics? It doesn't seem to work correctly for me... Thanx. ^_^ 


	23. Birdy Nests and a Big Fight

I was going to update yesterday, but... I was too tired to go online to do it. So I'm updating the night after Memorial Day. Anyways, there's not much in this chapter as I am running out of ideas. So... yeah. Enjoy this chapter. I'm getting sleepy...  
  
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Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Yep, I have been getting so evil lately. ~.~ Probably because the end of the school year is so close but so far away. *sigh* It's driving me crazy (more so than usual)! None at all... Really? We have something big in common then...  
  
Raija Darknight: ^_^ I'm glad that made you laugh. I'm getting to the humor stage. I want a sticker! A shiny one! Of a holographic Cell... Yep. Well, they say that love never really goes smoothly. ^_^()  
  
ElysianAmazon: ^___^ Yay! You like it! I'll admit, I was a little nervous about the response I'd get about the chapter, but now I'm reassured. Aw, thank you! You shouldn't have! *takes the shiny, pritty award and starts crying* It's so beautiful and shiny! Wait no longer as it is here! (How many times have I said that?) Oh, I haven't forgotten about it. Finished?! I am so behind, aren't I? Darn my lateness! How does she do that??  
  
Red Ribbon no Pink Technician: Oh, definitely! I would have had a couple of seizures, maybe throw in a heart attack, and THEN died. I like the drama of it all then. ^_^() Hey, if you're going to die, then die with a BANG! Oh, so true, but I don't want to imagine that, thank you very much. O.o Right- o! Gotcha! As long as they don't see me either. Â¬.Â¬ My friend from school ratted on me and now they're on my tail too... Er, yeah. I don't know anything.^_^  
  
O2: Yes! The horrible Cell-humiliates-the-life-out-of-the-victim attack! ^_^ I'm glad you do. Oh, that's okay. I know how that feels... I don't want that feeling anymore! I'm sick of it! Here it is! Oh, the pain of it all... Have you ever slammed your finger in a car door? Do you know how MUCH that hurts? And if you've got sharp corners on your nails, then they rip into your skin and cut through the defenses and makes your finger bleed and it spurts-- Okay, I'll shut up now. ^_^  
  
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thank you! ^_^ Yep! Cell shouldn't be laughing too much now... He's gonna be next! ^_~ Ooh! Bad Cell! Here it is for you both!  
  
kyro: Thanx! I don't think either of them expected that. Thankies! ^_^  
  
Rene: Oh, hey, don't worry about it. Why, you wouldn't believe how far behind I am on fics because of my school schedule now. Why must things get so hectic for me just when the fun part of the story comes? *sigh* ~.~ What I have to do to get to a computer... Really? I don't know. I'm pritty bad at it. That "puberty" joke that everyone seems to enjoy was just a spur-of- the-moment kind of thing. Might not get another one like it. So... that one doesn't count. ^_^ They are cute, ne? But I think anything with Cell is cute... *whistles innocently* Whoa, hey, you're talking to ME? I really don't think you should be giving compliments so freely, especially to me. ^_^() It just might go to my head. Oh, now you're just being hard on yourself. Each person's writing style is different and unique. No two styles are the same which is what makes stories so fun to read. So just keep your head held high, 'k? Be good to yourself! And thank you for listening to this little rambling bit from your local ff.net author, PrittyAnimeChick. ^_^ *salutes*  
  
Pen Dragon: Yay! You're all right! ^_^ That's cool... I could use one of those as I trip, like, every ten minutes everyday. Thing? Umm... Okay. I'll give it a shot. Thanx! Thank you for helping me! ^_^  
  
Ctarl Angel: Hello, person who I think is new. Welcome. Sorry for ending it there. I can tell that you want this chapter now. ^_^() And I updated now! Just like you said to!  
  
SSJ4 Goku: Oh, thank you for the help! But I don't think it works for me because I use WordPad and it doesn't seem to save *.txt files as html. Oh, well, that's okay. It's not necessary for me to have. Pen Dragon's was confusing to me, too, but I never really understood this computer renaming stuff. But I'm learning! I see you next...  
  
SSJ4 Goku: See? Told you I'd see you next. Hide? From what? You? Why would I do a stupid thing like that? You keep threads of my sanity intact! No way would I run from you! Ahem, okay...  
  
*** Yes! I wish you a happy birthday! Bon anniversaire! Tanjoubi omedeto gozaimasu! Happy b-day! And in all those other languages I don't know... You always find a way to say the right words and reassure me of everything. Why do I deserve such a wonderful friend?! Uh, are you sure you should be apologizing to me? The girl who takes her time a little too much? ^_^() Evil AOL! You try to hurt my friend's site and sanity; you will PAY!! (Sorry, I'm in an Invader Zim craze right now...)  
  
*** No, don't go! Don't leave me here with, uh, Sekai! May you rest in peace, ye old microwave... Bye-bye, 8-ball! I need a job and money and anime stuff and Invader Zim stuff... Lots of things on my 'Need List.' ^_^ I get my niceness from the best. Me? Well, those kind of fics ARE kind of one-tracked and it gets boring after a while, hearing the same jokes over and over again... subtle humor has surprises and twists that the reader wouldn't anticipate. Wow, you sure know how to compliment! I guess... again with the limitations of age. Three more years to go for me then... New 8- ball!  
  
*** They will be doomed! DOOMED I SAY! (IZ craze again ^_^())  
  
*** Yeah, that's true, but I can't figure out why. Probably because, in writing, you have to think about the little details to put them in words. And thinking about that kind of thing, well, uh... I get embarrassed easily there. They are enjoyable to read, but writing it comes a lot harder for me. Aw, thank you! *** That happens to me too. It likes to manipulate me. One day, I like my luck and, the next day, I hate it. Hey, I've read your action scenes and they're pritty good. I mean, for me, it's hard to look at the details of a standard DBZ fight. But you make it look easy as a cakewalk. I think, "How does she pull it off?!" Nuh-uh... It was a spur-of- the-moment kind of thing. It probably won't come up again. Not any time soon, at least. Thank you for the vote of confidence! ^_^  
  
*** Everybody seems to like that part. Is it that good? Well, whatever the audience likes... Yeah, it isn't. Of course not. I myself couldn't stop laughing at imagining bashful Trunks's face at seeing her like that. It would be so cute! ^_^ Naughty, naughty Cell! Yay! It amused you for the however many seconds you read it! Aw, that would never really happen... Yep, maybe he can magically grow a nose? I've already waited a day and that's enough. Now it's here! Not rambling. It's called stating one's opinions and comments. What I've just written is defined as rambling. ^_^  
  
sagexas: Hello, new person! Welcome to my fic and silently also known as my nightmare world, as much of the storyline comes from nightmares I have. Aw, thank you. Wow, you people know just how to make me feel all happy and bubbly inside. ^__^ Hope you didn't wait too long, but it's here now for your reading enjoyment. Why, thank you! Definitely! I love `em both! ^_^  
  
lilmissgoten: Ah, I am... But I have good taste in the type of underwear she wears, right? Polka dots? Is that in good taste? *looks around and hears crickets chirping* Er, yeah. Scratch that. I'm glad that you like it. Oh, Buu's not educated... Yeah, he should go ask Cell... Hey, Cell! Buu has a very important question for you!  
  
Cell: Not now! I'm busy!  
  
Me: With what? Sekai?  
  
Cell: Nooo...  
  
Me: Uh-huh, right...  
  
Cell: For your information, I'm sharpening my claws!  
  
Me: Um, okay... *looks at you* Save me!  
  
Cookies are good... ^_^ I would give Buu a cookie, but... I want them! So I'm going to keep them. Hey, I'm cool with that. ^_^ Oh, wow... But don't hurt the laptop! O.o I think I'm learning it...  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything DBZ or DBZ related. Just the fic and other characters are mine. (How many different ways can I rephrase this? Let's count! One, two, three...)  
  
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
  
  
Sekai sniffled in misery. Never in her life had she been so humiliated, so embarrassed.  
  
'I will get him for this, she thought. I don't know how, but I'll find a way to embarrass him. But what embarrasses him? Insults are too easy...'  
  
She sighed and still felt the heat in her face from the incident. As she sat at the base of a tall tree still without any coverings on the lower half of her body, she furiously wiped at her eyes to keep any tears from falling.  
  
'Big girls don't cry and I am no exception.' Although her parents always told her it was okay to cry, she just didn't feel strong if she did. Besides, she didn't want Cell to be the reason she was crying. I''ll be rolling in my grave before I cry because of him.' She turned to where the two fighters still were. She couldn't see them and it was the same vice versa, but she could sense that they were there. I't's even worse that that cute guy showed up.' "Argh! Damn that Cell!" She tossed a small rock out into the distance in front of her. "What am I gonna do? I can't go anywhere like this," she said, looking at herself. She looked like a beggar!  
  
*Bad luck for you.*  
  
Sekai could just feel the anger in her system quadruple. How could he dare to come back, especially at a time like this!  
  
Now she couldn't lose her cool. It wouldn't make things any better so why bother? She calmly cleared her throat, even though she wouldn't be speaking out loud to him, and took in a light breath.  
  
'Nuko, dear brother, I'm going to give you to the count of three to go away and leave me alone forever or I will blow my head off! Understand?!' That went quite nicely in her opinion.  
  
*...* Silence.  
  
Sekai sighed.  
  
*No.*  
  
'Fine then! We'll see how cocky you are when I drive my head through a tree branch and end it for both of us!' She looked around for anything that would serve as an exceptional weapon. Yet all she saw were branches, trees, and some rocks every now and then.  
  
*Look behind you.*  
  
She stood up and turned around, facing the tree she had been sitting against. 'It's a tree. Not real sharp to kill me.'  
  
*Look up.*  
  
She obeyed again and looked up. There was nothing out of the ordinary to see. The usual branches and thick leaves, trapping in the heat. And a few abandoned nests near the canopy of the forest.  
  
'What am I supposed to be looking at?'  
  
*Well, you said you needed some makeshift clothing for yourself; that big nest at the top will do nicely for now.*  
  
Sekai sweatdropped. 'I am not wearing a nest as a skirt. You really have lost it, brother,' she thought to Nuko in pity. She really seemed to lay on the sarcasm and pity whenever she called him 'brother.'  
  
*So you'd rather strut around showing off your truly fashionable panties to the world and demonstrating how many times it can ride up on you in a five- minute time period?*  
  
"..." There really was no question as to what she had to do.  
  
  
  
"Cell, what did you do to that girl?!" Trunks yelled.  
  
Cell acknowledged him calmly. "Nothing. I simply helped her out of the pit she had fallen into and her pants, unfortunately, snagged and didn't come out with her. Could I really help that happening?" Cell explained innocently with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Trunks scoffed. "Yeah, right. Like I'll believe something like that from you."  
  
"Then why did you bother asking?"  
  
Trunks frowned. "I suppose nothing can be conversed with you anyways."  
  
"Anyways, that's what happened. You saw it yourself. And I can't help but wonder if you enjoyed the sight," Cell said, raising an eyeridge.  
  
"Oh, enough of this! Just fight me, Cell!" Trunks said, blushing.  
  
"Whatever. You asked," Cell shrugged. "Do you think you're ready to face me now?"  
  
"Yes," Trunks lied. In all reality, he wasn't sure at all of his abilities. He had never really tested his powers as far as he was about to. Also, he had no idea of just how far Cell's power could go so he couldn't even determine a certain level. Right now, all his hopes would rest in the hands of fate.  
  
"Well, let's see if my theories prove false then," Cell stated. Trunks was confused as to what he meant but he gave no hints as to what he did mean. 'Probably not though. Saiya-jins are all the same; they have a thirst for battle and Trunks is no exception. This will be easy enough.'  
  
Tightening his hands into fists, Trunks yelled out as he gathered energy for a power-up. Cell waited and only released a small amount of ki for the upcoming battle. He watched as the young Saiya-jin ascended to the next level of Super Saiya-jin, noting all the changes-- his hair spiking up farther, the muscles bulging slightly and increasing in mass, the whites of his eyes becoming dominant and blocking out the black pupils and blue corneas.  
  
'His increased mass will slow him down a bit. I bet he doesn't even know that. It'll be funny to see how long it takes him to figure that little note out...' Cell thought.  
  
Finally, the transformation completed and Trunks stood in tall splendor. Even with the great power he released, he wasn't the least bit at ease. All he was doing at the moment was hanging on to his sanity and trying not to give into his Saiya-jin instincts of fighting. He had to think things through now, he kept telling himself. He couldn't afford any mistakes, otherwise there was no telling just what he might end up doing and destroying...  
  
Cell observed his opponent with little, if no, concern. As far as he could tell, Trunks wasn't in a very stable condition. Therefore, his fighting skills would be sloppy and without regard. 'But let's see this new power that you have attained, Trunks...'  
  
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Sorry that this chapter was a bit short, but now I've been consumed with some writer's block and don't know what to do next in the story. I'm open to any suggestions, as always, and would appreciate any ideas. Any ideas that I use will be given credit to the proper persons. Next chapter will be out as soon as I think of something to write. Thanx! ^_^ 


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